Well when I got home from work last night I proceeded to take the net off the pond. (I didn't have a chance last fall we had hurricane force winds that blew it into the pond along with subzero temps which froze it to the pond surface before I got home from work). I had five mules dead on top of the net and my big one eyed shubunkin (I call her fertile myrtle cuz she keeps my pond overstocked. Even the bluegill can't keep up with her. I have to admit I had flashes of not getting her out of the net but she is so beautiful even though she only has one eye. The other fish must find her attractive. lol) and another larger mule caught in the net. I rescued the ones that were caught in the net, but the ones on top of the net were pretty stiff. I netted another one out that I thought was dead but it started flopping so I threw it back. I will be very happy if this is all that I lost over the winter. Nobody got frozen in the skimmer like last winter and I don't see anymore floaters. I am keeping my fingers crossed that all my large koi survived. Can't see anything in the pond with the algae. I had tons of algae on the net when I pulled it out. My sweat pants were several shades of algae green before I was finished. I may just start a new fashion statement. I can call it "shades of algae." If it's like my other clothes they are permanently stained. I have "pond clothes" but I wanted to get the net off before it got dark. I am so glad daylight savings times starts this weekend.

My pond was frozen over on Sunday and it all melted over three days of 50-60° weather. I didn't think I would get the net off till April or May. The top pond is still frozen over though. With it being so small I thought it would be the first to thaw. Go figure.

It's amazing how I am all hyped up in the spring to work on the pond, but by the end of ponding season the last thing I want to do is fix another hose, do another water change or move another rock. I always tell myself this is the last year I am going to do this. Then the robins, spring and hummingbirds arrive and I'm all revved up again. I need to build a platform for my skippy filter this spring. I put watercress in it last summer which went wild and kept overflowing the filter, it flooded the ground the skippy was sitting on and I had a lot of erosion. The skippy isn't level and I had a problem with it leaking last summer. Hopefully I can get to it soon so I can get the waterfall up and running. I just can't wait to hear my frogs croaking and hope my tadpoles made it. Yay, spring has sprung. Although I think we'll get one more winter blast before it's official.

Welcome back spring. Hope ya all's pond made it through the winter alright.

Jenny