Depends on how shallow, I guess. My fish spawn literally all over the pond, deep end and shallow end, all along the edges, on anything and everything they can find. They prefer plant matter, but I have used the mop heads you're speaking of with some success. One will probably not be sufficient, though. Ponds with rocks are the most difficult to eliminate fish babies because the eggs get sprayed between them so the koi can't reach them to eat them. A bare liner pond will make it easer for the fish to find the eggs. I have coping stones around the top of my pond, so after the fish have spawned, I lower the water level at least six inches, exposing the coping stones to the air. I leave the level down overnight, allowing the eggs to dry out. I also remove all the plants and allow them to dry out overnight. The next morning, I return them to the pond and fill it back up. Also, don't feed the fish for a few days. This forces them to forage on the remaining eggs. As a last measure, after four or five days, when the eggs begin to hatch, I attach a very strong garden sprayer to the garden hose, and I spray forcefully along the edges and in and around the coping stones. I also reach into the pond and spray along the sides (in the water) where the baby fish attach themselves immediately after hatching. They're still very small and very delicate, and the harsh spray will kill them. I've been doing this for three years and have not had a single surviving baby during this time.

Catching wild crawfish might tell you something about them. In various parts of Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado and Florida, I've caught many crawfish using a cloth bag and a piece of dead fish, or even raw chicken. They will cling to the cloth bag trying to eat the food inside so singlemindedly, that you could just tie a string to it, throw it in, wait 10 minutes then slowly pull it out. Depending on the season, it may be completely covered and you could get an instant meal. I've kept a pond with my dad in Tucson Arizona for many years with gold fish, 1 coy and some very small black fish I don't know the name of. I attempted to introduce crawfish several times and once they get to a certain size they try to run away and in arizona, that never ends well for them. I've found that if you have a shallow pond with liner, don't bother trying to keep crayfish unless you want to feed the birds. If you can keep a pond by digging into solid dirt or clay and just fill it with a hose with no liner, crawfish do well. The ponds in my families land in kentucky has a huge number of crawfish, and they are totally untended, but about 15 feet deep in the center and about 50 feet in diameter. They like to burrow into hard clay and if they don't find that they generally don't flourish. If you are able to get them to flourish, they will always run away when their population reaches a certain amount of fully grown members. If you want something to keep the fish population down, buy a small snapping turtle, but expect all you fish to have injuries.

We usually have crappy weather, we get lots of rain, but this year it is beyond ridiculous. We are getting 4 or 5 days in a row with no let up in the rain and big storms, than a crappy day and then more stormy days. It feels like the house is going to lift off its foundations and that I am going to be off to kansas to see the wizard. I forget what the sun looks like! It has been above average temperatures (17c yesterday) one day then freezing the next. We will get 4-5 inches of snow that turns to rain and then gets washed away. I forget what the sun looks like! The dogs and I are getting fat as we have not been doing anything and it has been tuff to even get out for a decent walk. My poor better half is working in the middle east this week and the weather has totally delayed her travel plans forcing her to have to overnight in a hotel at London's Heathrow airport at a cost of 185 british pounds which is close to $400 for a stinking night. The rain took a pause today and I figured I would go out and check out the garden. First thing I notice was that the neighbour's fence had blown down. The moose was though the hill garden recently: Here is the square foot garden beside the cabin today: I think I was talking with EG about swiss chard a while back and here it is after several frosts. I cut this chard to the ground in the fenced square foot garden a couple weeks back and you notice even in this weather it has grown a bit. Amazing stuff and so good with garlic and a little chicken broth. The creek is eroding away beside the creek square foot garden. I hope it stops there, Next year I am going to have to put rocks on the side of the bank here. Here is the strawberry patch where the creek overflowed. The two new areas that I planted square foot style have a bit of sand and silt but I hope will be ok. The creek has really suffered some erosion this last month. ...

Carol, That camera is starting it forth year since being announced, in the film days you would just be breaking it in by now, However, now evrything is electrical and digitized so life spans do not last very long. I am sure you are well aware of that though. If you are looking for another Konica-Minolta I wouldnt suggest it. Sony bought out their camera division so I dont know how much support you would get for a camera that is no longer produced, even though stores are still selling these cameras. Joe