Fall has hit here. Our hyacinth are browning and the lilies are
done...almost gone. I still have not put in my new pump. That may
wait until Xmas.

May your ponds thrive over the winter.

Jim

In article
,
Phyllis and Jim wrote:

Fall has hit here. Our hyacinth are browning and the lilies are
done...almost gone. I still have not put in my new pump. That may
wait until Xmas.

May your ponds thrive over the winter.

Jim

The Hyacinth and water lettuce are still growing and thriving around
here. Have to pull some more out today. Lilies are the only plants that
seem to be taking the cue from the season. We did have some warm days
80s-90s last weekend here in So Cal.

--
To reply by email, remove the word "space"

1st cold (as in sick) of fall hit me this last week. One of the kids
probably brought it in as many of them were out sick. I could only take a
day since we're down by 1 para-aide with a sub fill-in. Then Friday our
teacher had sub... and our social worker para had to give a presentation
that the Sped department wouldn't let her out of. So there I was, hardly
any voice, with a sub-para and a sub teacher... and so glad the sick kids
stayed home. By afternoon we only had 4 of the possible 9-10.

Pond-wise, pretty much done, will do water changes as time and temperatures
allow as winter progresses. All fish duties will be inside, 3 tanks had
water changes today. I'm still waiting on the weather to completely frost
off the cannas before I bring them in. That might happen next weekend. Also
need to put winter fertilizer down on the lawn, perhaps Wednesday, the
holiday for vet's.

Btw, you all probably have heard of the tragedy at Ft. Hood? That is where
my middle son is stationed. I sent him an IM saying that was one day I
could honestly say I was glad he was in Iraq. :'-( My heart goes out to
those families, one just does not expect to lose them on home soil, unless
by an accident that we all could succumb to. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

"~ jan" wrote in message
...
1st cold (as in sick) of fall hit me this last week. One of the kids
probably brought it in as many of them were out sick. I could only take
a
day since we're down by 1 para-aide with a sub fill-in. Then Friday our
teacher had sub... and our social worker para had to give a presentatio
n
that the Sped department wouldn't let her out of. So there I was, hardl
y
any voice, with a sub-para and a sub teacher... and so glad the sick ki
ds
stayed home. By afternoon we only had 4 of the possible 9-10.

Maybe you should have stayed home also. Getting the flu on top of a cold

could really wipe someone out.


Pond-wise, pretty much done, will do water changes as time and
temperatures
allow as winter progresses. All fish duties will be inside, 3 tanks had
water changes today. I'm still waiting on the weather to completely fro
st
off the cannas before I bring them in. That might happen next weekend.
Also
need to put winter fertilizer down on the lawn, perhaps Wednesday, the
holiday for vet's.

With no fish being fed, my ponds stayed crystal clear but there's still m
ulm
forming on the bottom. Once all the trees have dropped their leaves I'll
try
and net out as many as possible. I leave the Cannas out, planted in the
ground against a fence with a southern exposure. Indoors they're red
spidermite magnets. I brought some water lettuce into the greenhouse las
t
week. We stil haven't had a frost here yet. We almost always have frost
before the end of Oct.


Btw, you all probably have heard of the tragedy at Ft. Hood? That is wh
ere
my middle son is stationed. I sent him an IM saying that was one day I
could honestly say I was glad he was in Iraq. :'-(

You lost me... is he at Ft Hood now, or in Iraq? Yes, it was a horrible
tragedy. :*(

My heart goes out to
those families, one just does not expect to lose them on home soil, unl
ess
by an accident that we all could succumb to. ~ jan

This is so true. I was shocked when I heard it on the news.

--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

"ReelMcKoi" wrote:

-snip-
My pumps are shut off and pond season is over.

That's sad. I'm in NY- near Albany & leave mine go all winter. [and
it is a small one- about 200 gallons- 2 feet deep on the deep end, and
1/2 is 8inches or less]

I loved watching the ice come and go all winter last year.

Even the frogs and snakes are gone for the winter.

We don't see the frogs often anymore, but a couple hardy souls appear
from time to time as I remove Water Hyacinth and lettuce.

The lilies are all done- and I was about to post asking how many years
before the Water Hawthorn would start to blossom.. . . and then I
noticed a little flower. I should check the water temp, but
guarantee it isn't warm.g We've had several killing frosts and
very little sun for a month.

I moved a dozen Rosy reds, a couple water hyacinths, a few water
lettuce, and some anacharis to the basement tank. The apple snails
I planned on moving down there disappeared before I could. I bought
a couple little Plecostomus for the tank and I'll put them on string
algae duty in the spring.

Jim

Maybe you should have stayed home also.

I probably should have. Maybe wake the
Sped Dept. up that they shouldn't plan
meetings when school is in session, if
nothing else.

I leave the Cannas out, . Indoors they're red
spidermite magnets.

I put mine in the 50F garage, if I see any bugs,
and that has happened about Feb. I throw a piece
of plastic over the table and put a bug strip in there.
Worked very well last year.

I brought some water lettuce into the greenhouse

That's the plant I've had mite trouble with in the past.

You lost me... is he at Ft Hood now, or in Iraq?

Yes.

Btw, on your formatting. I used short lines and hard
returns on the above. Seeing that even replies mess
up after you send, when they came thru fine on my
reader. I think you'll have to search your options
and see if there a format problem with your read.
~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 07:56:58 EST, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

I moved a dozen Rosy reds, a couple water hyacinths, a few water
lettuce, and some anacharis to the basement tank. The apple snails
I planned on moving down there disappeared before I could. I bought
a couple little Plecostomus for the tank and I'll put them on string
algae duty in the spring.
Jim

How big is your tank downstairs? Wouldn't your apple snails have eaten all
your plants? I thought they were vicious plant eaters from stories I have
heard here. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

~ jan wrote:

How big is your tank downstairs?

25 gallons or so. I put a pair of 20w aquarium/plant bulbs on it.
added a 50gallon filter & an auto-feeder.
So I got a free tank to take care of my $1 a dozen feeder fish & $6
worth of plants. . . . It came with 2 pumps & a light- but the pumps
needed parts & the light wasn't bright enough- and wouldn't work on a
timer- So I added $100 of accessories and $4 worth of fish-- and will
see if they make it through the winter.g

The dollars make no sense at all-- but it brightens up a corner of the
basement and will let me know the feasibility of over-wintering some
plants.

Wouldn't your apple snails have eaten all
your plants? I thought they were vicious plant eaters from stories I have
heard here.

Might have. I actually went to buy Japanese trap door snails
because of what I read-- and the fact that they are hardy. I got
a youngster at the fish/pond store who talked a good game, but
apparently didn't know the difference. I even commented that I
didn't think trapdoor snails came in white. . . and he was real
concerned about the water temp in my pond and I said I'd ease them in,
"but aren't they hardy"? and he didn't seem to think they were hardy-
so I should have known something was amiss.

I didn't realize they were apple snails until I found a row of eggs in
the skimmer and searched online to find out what they were.

Probably just as well that mother nature took care of them before I
got to them. FWIW, though, I never saw them on a plant all summer.
They seemed to prefer the string algae. [but they were no match for
it-- even when I added a couple Japanese trapdoor snails to help.]

BTW- I checked the water temp yesterday-- 46F degrees. I want to
smell my Water Hawthorne blossom but it is just far enough from shore
that I'd probably end up wet trying to smell it.

Jim

On Nov 9, 7:31 am, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
~ jan wrote:
How big is your tank downstairs?

25 gallons or so. I put a pair of 20w aquarium/plant bulbs on it.
added a 50gallon filter & an auto-feeder.
So I got a free tank to take care of my $1 a dozen feeder fish & $6
worth of plants. . . . It came with 2 pumps & a light- but the pumps
needed parts & the light wasn't bright enough- and wouldn't work on a
timer- So I added $100 of accessories and $4 worth of fish-- and will
see if they make it through the winter.g

The dollars make no sense at all-- but it brightens up a corner of the
basement and will let me know the feasibility of over-wintering some
plants.

Wouldn't your apple snails have eaten all
your plants? I thought they were vicious plant eaters from stories I hav
e
heard here.

Might have. I actually went to buy Japanese trap door snails
because of what I read-- and the fact that they are hardy. I g
ot
a youngster at the fish/pond store who talked a good game, but
apparently didn't know the difference. I even commented that I
didn't think trapdoor snails came in white. . . and he was real
concerned about the water temp in my pond and I said I'd ease them in,
"but aren't they hardy"? and he didn't seem to think they were hardy-
so I should have known something was amiss.

I didn't realize they were apple snails until I found a row of eggs in
the skimmer and searched online to find out what they were.

Probably just as well that mother nature took care of them before I
got to them. FWIW, though, I never saw them on a plant all summer.
They seemed to prefer the string algae. [but they were no match for
it-- even when I added a couple Japanese trapdoor snails to help.]

BTW- I checked the water temp yesterday-- 46F degrees. I want to
smell my Water Hawthorne blossom but it is just far enough from shore
that I'd probably end up wet trying to smell it.

Jim

I had 2 apple snails in my aquarium and one night
I thought they were being *intimate* but actually one
was eating the other, hence he became *jeffrey*.

On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:31:26 EST, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

So I got a free tank to take care of my $1 a dozen feeder fish & $6
worth of plants. . . . I added $100 of accessories

Been there, only I got two free 55's. Sold one probably too cheap. Bought a
used stand that came with a leaking 55 for $25, sold the tank really cheap
with the info that it leaked. Spent big bucks for all glass top, 2 bulb
top, 404 Fuval filter, but it sure looks nice! I keep fantail goldfish in
it, some purchased some babies when I had fantails only in the lily pond.

Might have. I actually went to buy Japanese trap door snails
because of what I read-- and the fact that they are hardy. I got
a youngster at the fish/pond store who talked a good game, but
apparently didn't know the difference. I even commented that I
didn't think trapdoor snails came in white. . . and he was real
concerned about the water temp in my pond and I said I'd ease them in,
"but aren't they hardy"? and he didn't seem to think they were hardy-
so I should have known something was amiss.

I didn't realize they were apple snails until I found a row of eggs in
the skimmer and searched online to find out what they were.

They do sound like Apple snails, though the Mystery snail also lays eggs
above the water. Trap doors, aren't they kind of like live bearers? Been a
long time since I've had either. Trap door & Mystery snails look a lot
alike, but I've never known either to be light or white in color.

I want to smell my Water Hawthorne blossom

They have a scent? I'll have to check mine out next spring.

Currently I have a bog lily blooming in the house, smells WONDERFUL,
similar to an Easter lily. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

~ jan wrote:

On Mon, 9 Nov 2009 10:31:26 EST, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
-snip-

I didn't realize they were apple snails until I found a row of eggs in
the skimmer and searched online to find out what they were.

They do sound like Apple snails, though the Mystery snail also lays eggs
above the water. Trap doors, aren't they kind of like live bearers? Been a
long time since I've had either. Trap door & Mystery snails look a lot
alike, but I've never known either to be light or white in color.

Yes- the Trapdoors are live bearers. They only have 15-20 offspring
in a lifetime, too- so they don't overpopulate quickly.


I want to smell my Water Hawthorne blossom

They have a scent? I'll have to check mine out next spring.

According to my book -"Blossoms have a clean vanilla fragrance that is
carried on the wind for several feet."
Mine's only a couple feet from shore- but I haven't gotten a whiff of
it yet.

Currently I have a bog lily blooming in the house, smells WONDERFUL,
similar to an Easter lily.

Cool. what kind is it? I got a lily for my bog- and it is a tender
one so I need to bring it in-- but no scent. I'll have to add some
bog lilies in the spring.

Jim

"~ jan" wrote in message
...

You lost me... is he at Ft Hood now, or in Iraq?

Yes.

I hope he comes home from Iraq OK.


Btw, on your formatting. I used short lines and hard
returns on the above. Seeing that even replies mess
up after you send, when they came thru fine on my
reader. I think you'll have to search your options
and see if there a format problem with your read.

I searched Options already. This is the only NG it
happens on. All the others the formatting is fine.
WindowsMail comes with settings ready for Usenet.

--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:03:36 EST, Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Currently I have a bog lily blooming in the house, smells WONDERFUL,
similar to an Easter lily.

Cool. what kind is it? I got a lily for my bog- and it is a tender
one so I need to bring it in-- but no scent. I'll have to add some
bog lilies in the spring.
Jim

Looks like this:
http://tinyurl.com/ydezske

Another spike is about to bloom soon... ~ jan :-)
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us