Pond in Southern Illinois

[CometKeith]

Great pics of your pond. Everything looks so natural. I like the sign too. Am I crazy but it looks like the bear frowns when the go away sign is on him!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Your are funny Sheetmetalman! Wife going to see what you did to her Christmas wreaths and then what? Ha ha ha.

 

[Sheetmetalman]

She knows and she's not happy, lol. I'm not too happy with the wreath setup today either, I was feeding the fish and I looked at the leftmost wreath and a watersnake was hiding in it with just his head poking out.Tried to kill it 3 times today but its a quick little bugger and it gets back in the cracks and crevises of my rocks where I would have to tear up a bunch of rocks to get at it.It has the fish all stirred up now. It's ironic because I always tell the little wild 4 year old neighbor girl not to actually get in the pond because there might be snakes and snapping turtles in it and now there really is a damn snake in it.

 

[callingcolleen1]

If you build a pond, they will come, critters from far and wide, I too have had a snake crawling and swimming in the pond, could not catch him no how, and then I seen him in the front yard pond... no harm seems to have been done.....

 

[j.w]

Nice pix SSMan! The bear w/ nicely painted rock is cute and had to look twice at the changing of the sign, ha ha. I'd freak if I had a snake in my pond but fortunately only garter snakes here! Is yours a poisonous one? If not maybe you can catch and release :cheerful:

 

[Sheetmetalman]

Do you have Northern Water Snakes up in Canada, Colleen? This one was only a couple feet long but even at that length their a holy terror to smaller fish. Once they reach 3 or 4 foot long and as big around as your wrist they will clean out even your bigger fish and Bullfrogs. Also they are bity little S.O.B.s if you try to catch them, with I think its 6 rows of sharp teeth and although their not poisen their saliva has an anticoulagent in it which keeps you bleeding (like a leech). I was bit once years ago by a smaller one but thankfully it didnt break the skin. Oh and they are very agressive when cornered and they have a stink gland that emits a stinky substance like a skunk does. I actually like snakes and have had a lot of garter snakes as well as black snakes and green vine snakes as pets growing up, but I HATE water snakes both around anywhere where I swim and in my Pond--for one because they will bite you when your swimming in their vicinity and for 2 because I'm not raising 80 dollar snake food in my pond, LOL. Ive seen adult water snakes grab and kill fish up to 10 inches long and here is a picture of one killing a pretty good sized catfish. Anyway in my pond the little devil was so fast in the water and kept getting in under all my rocks and boulders that I tried 6 times to get him in the daylight and never could. Night was a different story, Me and my son shined him with a light and we got him our first try, problem solved till the next time. Here is a pic of him with just his head out of my rocks in the pond. And the last pic is him after we got him that night

 

[Sheetmetalman]

Thanks J.W., yea I like how the rock turned out and I had that Bear Statue setting on a shelf in my sunporch but it looks better out on the rock.

 

[CountryEscape]

Great photos, SMM. I am totally with you on snakes. I will stop my mower for a garter or black snake, toads too for that matter. But, if there is a snake in the water, I freak! Have been afraid of only water snakes since I was young. I was always told they are poisonous, and once I was walking in the creek, barefooted I'm sure, and a HUGE snake swam out from under the little waterfall edge. I screamed bloody murder, I'm certain! BUT, I got that darn snake, too. It was over 3' long, and considering I'm only 5' now ... that was a big snake. I thought I killed it, tossed it in the metal 55 gal garbage can. But, 2 hours later, when went to show it to my friend, it was gone! That sucker was not dead after all.
I just posted some pics, and now I see that you HAVE one of the flowers that I am going to get from my neighbor next spring. It's the yellow flower in the last pic of a few posts up I think the one you said "hostas and other plants". Do you know what the name is? Does yours bloom during the day, and close up at night? I'm certain that's the same leaves on it that I just took a pic of. It the yellow flower in this pic, if you can see the difference of the leaves from the purple flower. I'm also trying to figure out what the purple flower is. She got it from a friend many years ago, says it spreads "like crazy", but I told her "just that much more to share with others".

 

[Sheetmetalman]

Yep thats the same flower Patti, but I have no idea what its called---my mom and dad are always giving me and Anne plants and flowers and I got that one from her--I will ask mom what it is next time I'm out there. It spreads good but actually looks like a tall weed in the spring till it blooms. Come over some time and I will get you a start of that and a few other things that I have around the pond that spreads quick if you want some.

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks, Tim! I have to make a note to myself, because I DO want to come see your pond, maybe bring a bottle of wine, and sit and enjoy it and listen to stories. I was going to come and get an albino catfish last year, and then totally forgot about it! I see your have one still. That's cool. I'm going to give myself a note in my phone right now ... remind me week from this week (as I'm going to WI this next weekend for my sister's 50th birthday) and PM you, see when would be a good time to stop over. :blueflower:
While I'm coming, if you have any desire for any water clover or water parsley/celery, I have gobs I want to get rid of. It spreads fast in the bog, just a fair warning. I also have penny wart, which does not grow as fast, and is much more pleasing, at least in my opinion. The good thing about the water clover/parsley is that it creates great growth and roots in the bog, thus filtering the pond really well! I'm well pleased with that aspect just wish it would not spread so quickly. :cheerful:

 

[Sheetmetalman]

That will work Patti and I may take you up on the offer of the water celery since I'm gonna build a bog later this summer. I'm wrestling again this year with string algae and I was hopeing a bog would help control it plus add additional filtration for my growing fish load. When you come bring something for hauling fish and we will try to catch you a couple albinos.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, cool!!! Sounds like a plan. Thanks.

 

[Sheetmetalman]

On the way home from work tonight I saw this big black snake crossing the road in my sub division so I jumped out and caught him. He was 5 and a half feet of pissed off snake and when I started taking his picture.he struck the camera hard enough to knock the batterys out of it. He wasnt very friendly but he was a beauty, and he now lives in the timber next door.

 

[Sheetmetalman]

I think this is the best fish pic Ive ever taken

 

[addy1]

Very nice! Looks like a painting.