Pond Ramblings

For this group of photos you're going to wish I had a decent zoom lens on my camera.  Be prepared to click and enlarge these and maybe find a magnifying glass for additional help!


See MamaDog sitting on the bank?  What does she see?

In the middle of the photo, right in front of the grass in the water, there is a small beaver.  He turned and went the other way once he realized MamaDog was on the bank watching him.  He's making quite a wake behind him!

Here is where the beaver lives.  We can pull the boat in and fish all around the lodge.  We're not sure exactly how many live there.

Can you see the tiny little birds sitting on the top branch of the dead tree?
Good fishing spot!

This one is much harder to see.  Try looking at the dead limb right in the middle of the photo that looks almost as if it's lying on the edge of the grass.  You might be able to make out the grayish bird sitting on it, almost in the water lilies.

I bet you can see this one just fine!  Suzy and MamaDog have been terrible this year about trying to swim out to us while we are fishing.  They have ruined more good spots for us in the process!!  Suzy got all tangled in the grass one evening so I felt sorry for her and dragged her into the boat with us.  Nasty!  On this occasion we just waved her on.  She easily made it to the bank where she proceeded to shake and roll (but not rattle).

I'm sorry my photography is so poor.
It doesn't do justice to the beauty at our pond.

Busy as a Beaver

Look at what some beavers have been up to in our pond. The top photo is a house (lodge, hut, den) that they constructed in a matter of days right in the midst of one of my favorite fishing spots.

The bottom photo shows another house that has some mud on the sides. The mud is obviously a recent addition since it hasn't dried. Some folks say the beavers start "mudding" when they're fixing to have babies. Others say it's just a way to insulate from the cold or protect the home from predators.

Both photos can be enlarged by clicking.

Let the fishing begin!

It's that time of year again. The weather is warmer, the world is greener... and the fish are starting to bite!

Our first attempt was on Monday evening and we set out with high hopes. My husband got a few hits on a spinner bait, but in general the fish weren't cooperating. Thursday evening was a little better. Armed with a shiny new spinner bait of my own (my first), I caught a nice bass right off the bat. I reeled in a second one with a plastic worm, then lost a third which broke my line, taking my new spinner bait with it.

The actual fishing might not have been great, but it was nice just being out on the pond. I get a real sense of peace and serenity out on the water, taking in the sights and sounds around me. Gazing out over the pasture, I could see the cows and donkeys grazing and heard the occasional moo or bray. We saw some blue-wing teal and wood ducks along with a pair of Canada Geese that have spent several summers nesting on our pond. Both evenings our yards dogs decided to join us. Mama Dog is an impressive swimmer. The first evening she and Blue swam out to the beaver hut. They climbed all over it trying to sniff out the residents whom we had seen in another part of the pond earlier. The second evening, while Blue and Jed watched from the shore, Mama Dog repeatedly tried to swim out to the boat, scaring every fish in the vicinity I'm sure. What seemed cute at first quickly became annoying. I hope she doesn't make a habit of it!

Changing the subject.... I was browsing other blogs today and discovered a book challenge I wish I had found earlier! I've already read ten books this year that qualify and the challenge only calls for twelve. I would go ahead and join, but I would need to go back and write reviews for all those books. That's a challenge I'm not up to. Maybe next year.