Yard & Pond

Views

It seems I'm always taking pictures showing the newer pond, so this is a full view of the older one. In the background (where the hyacinths are) is where the "spring" is located (back side is the head of the stream)... The plants are so full they hide the outlet. Today they are in full bloom... wish they were when this picture was taken last week.

One of my favorite times of day, when the ponds begin to look like mirrors reflecting the trees, yet you can still enjoy the koi.

Stream-bed looking toward the house... I like the almost sepia tone glow that dusk gives to the pond scape. The tall slender plant is a Madagascar Thorn Palm (usually a house plant) This one is over 7 ft. tall, and obviously likes where it sits.

Upstream... Just a glimpse of what is still blooming... Roses here have to be cut back to allow them to rest... usually in January or February.

This shows how my 'kids' beg for food regardless of the temps. These are older koi, and most I got as small ones, for the Goromo (Brownish/red pattern on white...on the right) and 'big Mama' Hikari Moyo Yamatonishiki (just to left of center front). I really like the metallic combinations as well as the traditional 'Big Three' koi (Showa, Sanke, Kohaku).

(The bright sun did something weird to the color in this shot.)

There are some very nice patterned koi in this pond, I'm especially proud of the Hi (pronounced "he") Utsuri (black pattern on red fish) and the smaller Showa (koi with black ring around eye). The others are nice as well. Wish the black butterflies would show up, but they won't on film.

I managed to catch several of the butterfly koi in this shot. They are especially graceful with their long trailing fins. Pictured are a yellow matsuba (pine cone), an orange with blue dorsal shusui, a bekko (white with black spots on upper back). The black 'shadow' on the pool bottom is a black butterfly with white tipped fins.