Our first water lily blossom ever.  And about 68 lily pads counted this am.

 

59 water lily  pads counted this morning, plus one bud, which for two days now has been half poking out of the water.

Saw under water on the west side of the pond, shoots from new plants, a few inches under the water’s surface.

And saw small bluegills cruising through the sandy spots, about 3″,  just above the bottom.

43 water lily pads visible this morning. 44 this evening.  Last night, when visibility was better, I could see lots of newly planted lilies under the water – making their way toward the surface. Soon.

In another week, when it looks as if all of the lilies planted this year have shown themselves – I’ll make a final 2014 purchase, planting them where there aren’t any.

Also, last night in the early evening, there were 3-4 small schools of fish, in the shallows, working through the lily pads, just a few inches over the bottom. Caught in the last of the sunlight.  Beautiful.

Winter’s almost gone – almost …

Our ice cap is melting, finally.  Studying the new gap in the ice today – saw several small fish – too dark to determine type.

No tadpoles observed.  Maybe they hibernated this winter?  The last 3 winters we’d observed them all winter long.  This was our first winter though, where the pond had such an ice cap, for so long.

Wondering about the tads – where are they?

Saw one dead fish too – and interestingly, don’t think it was a blue.  Maybe a perch (had vertical stripes).  But we only stocked blues – and some quick research just told me that it was most likely a blue.

Winter’s waning – going to be much ground water this year.  Several inches of snow and ice slowly melting.  Nowhere to drain to yet, ground’s still frozen.  When it all melts, wetness … for a few weeks.

It was pretty cold but not too cold, and the perfect, loveliest, lightest snow had settled on everything.