Now you're just showing off LOL! And I'm jealous! :)I'm still trying to figure out the digital the kids gave me for Christmas. . .

Goldenpond, I think you may be right. Those look very much like fingerling bass. If so, that's great. You do know tilapia will end up taking over? They are destroying bass and bluegill, etc, in our streams. They are fine in an enclosed system like you have, but I fear you will soon have only tilapia living there. And your dreaded walking catfish, of course. Ugh is right on those! On the plus side, tilapia ARE pretty, and very tasty, if you can keep from making pets of them. ;o) But bass! I'd love to have a pond with bass in it! Lellie, I absolutely LOVE your flying fish! So cute! Ill, it doesn't matter so much what type of birdbath you have, as long as it will hold about 2" of water. A garbage can lid on the ground will even work. But it needs to be placed in an area where birds feel safe. Not too close and not too far from cover. Too close, and they can be ambushed and won't use it. Too far, and they feel too exposed. It is a trial and error thing. There are many really pretty ones out there in all price ranges. Target carries some very nice inexpensive ones. Or you can stack up a couple of terra cotta pots and top with a terra cotta saucer. Goldenpond, it isn't often that a bird actually drowns in a birdbath. BUT...they are afraid of deep water and won't use one that is filled too high. You can still use your antique ones, but do one of two things. Only fill them partway up, or fill the bottom with some flatish rocks before adding water, so that the birds only have about 2" to deal with. That is usually all they require. But whatever you do, however you do it, everybody get busy and put out some birdbaths! You never know what you will see using them, and during very dry weather, they are really critical to our feathered friends. Marcia

We raised Carolina wrens in a pig flower pot which sat on the deck railing. They chose this pig with the tough thorned aloe vera plant for 3 years running. To sort of hide the nest from our movements, I located the tall pot of bougainvillea in front of it. The day the fledgelings flew, I always called it WHEN PIGS FLY. They are still hanging around our garden, fussing at us for trespassing, and I still call them the Pig Family. Now we have the second pair of bluebirds in a nestbox in the hosta garden. They have babies in there and when I am close enough I hear them begging for food. I sure hope they fledge before the weather gets too too hot. Last year the pair abandoned the 2nd round of babies because it got too hot. This year I spray the area around noon to 2pm to cool it down. It helps a lot. I also have out water bowls and birdbaths, but the favorite way to shower for all the birds seems to be rubbing on the wet leaves of the peach and camellia trees while the sprinkler is running. Or the doves bathe on top of the umbrellas; Water is a prime concern and I have containers of it out everywhere....which I refresh daily to avoid mosquitos.

Thanks for the kind words, Mags! I have a pistol grip cutter lined up, and trying to decide if I will need a glass grinder for my next project. I am going to try to use larger pieces of glass for my two koi fish that will be on the surface of the fire pit cover. I found something very similar on a round fire pit cover (mine is a semi-circle shape), and I liked how this gal used larger pieces of glass for the koi. So, not sure if I can get smooth curves with a glass cutter and nippers, or, if I would be better off using a grinder to smooth out the pieces. Still so many newbie questions, sigh, lol!! Going down to a couple of glass stores this weekend, to try to buy the glass for the project. I may just bring cash, and leave the credit cards at home. I suspect it may be a bit like a kid in a candy store scenario :-) Patty S.