Of Spoiled Bass, Kids and Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

I remember when I was little and my poor old Mom would cut my sandwiches into tepees. I don't recall why but she gladly reminded me today. If she cut the sandwich any other way I just would not eat it. What a brat face.

Now I guess I'm being paid back and by a bass of all things... At least I didn't have to dig up any old worms today. Meanandlean looked the best he has ever looked. I hardly recognized him! He looks like he gained a pound and he no longer has that horrible gaunt - going to die tomorrow - super model look to him. Those worms really did him good but I just can't dig worms everyday. I didn't have even one to mix with the hot dogs for odor either so I guess it's all about sight (obviously) for a bass. I took two little videos of him eating today and decided to put up this one but they are about the same I guess. I still haven't dragged out my video camera but I intend to - maybe tomorrow.

I don't know how much bass eat but all total Meanandlean ate six hot dogs by himself today. I didn't have that many cut into "worms" and had to go back to the house for more. The package of hot dogs is 12 oz and there is 8 to a pack. Someone else will have to do the math. He ate a lot more weight in worms than that yesterday. He was bulging when he left today but nothing like yesterday.

One thing he did was when I'd throw a "worm" kinda far and he wouldn't take it (maybe he thought another fish would get it first?) it would float up. He would never eat them then. The bluegill would worry with them and make them dance a bit and he might go over to inspect but he'd look at it real well, decide it wasn't alive, then swim off. He would only take one if I held it up for him to see then threw it in. I'm going to have a hard life having to hand feed a bass everyday... I wish he was a better hunter. Maybe when he grows a bit he will be.

The rest of the bass ate as usual. I bought the Purina Game Chow and they weren't impressed with it. I understand it's supposed to be oily. Maybe this was old because it was dry as a bone. I'm going to take it back and see if they won't replace it. I fed bread and hot dogs.

I've been getting help (and they haven't even laughed at me - at least publicly) from a pond forum online. I want to provide a link and definitely a recommendation. I am pestering them to death with questions and have subscribed to their magazine. I looked a long time on line everywhere before I found something like this and am really glad to have found them: http://www.pondboss.com/

Two snapping turtles tiptoed in today. I had on a turquoise shirt and bluejeans if that made a difference. Could be that it wasn't the color that made a difference but that the turtles just can't stand to see an old lady in PJs! I'll have to get dressed before I go to the pond I guess - they don't want to make it easy on me. They looked me over pretty well but came on in and I got them on video. One I hadn't seen before and he's larger than any of the others I've seen in the pond. He was also a lot more leery of me and ended up running off. I don't have a name for him - I'll post a video here - any name suggestions?

Hotdog the snake was there and didn't catch anything as usual. Poor little snake. I know they talk about those water snakes biting and all but maybe they have to strike at everything just in case it's something they can eat. I see him strike a dozen times while I'm there at least and miss. Awful... Some how I'm going to feed him.

Now as a side note - even though it's not about the pond it's a funny story that happened last night:

What happened was this...

My poor, patient, husband went out to the bluegrass pickin last night and I went to bed. My phone was in bed with me and rang at 1:30 AM. In my sleep I picked it up and started pushing buttons trying to answer it. I was half awake and confused and instead of answering I called my poor old Mom (she's almost 80). I heard her voice and kinda told her that my husband was calling and I was trying to answer the phone. She hung up. I called her again. Same thing. Still trying to answer the phone or call my husband back (who knows) I called my Mom again and evidently hung up on her. She called me back demanding to know what was going on Bahahhahahaa.

All this time I kept hearing a car in the dirveway gunning the engine and going up and down the driveway (What?) I am so confused and trying to take off my sleep apnea mask and tumbling outta bed, the dog is barking, things are crazy. I go look out the window and see the car pulling up and down the driveway all zig-zaggy. My husband doesn't drink but is driving up and down the driveway crazy like a drunk going back and forth swerving. I thought, "Did they give him some shine over at the pickin or what?" WHAT THE HOO????????

Finally he parks and comes RUNNING to the door and tries to HURRILY open it. It's locked and I open it quickly for him.

WHEW.

What had happened is he couldn't get out of the car because when he pulled up there was Pepe Le Pew standing with tail raised right on the ramp to the porch ready to take aim and fire if he got out of the car. He backed down the drive quickly and when he pulled back up Le Pew had moved to the middle of the driveway. This went on and on and each time he came back up the drive Pepe Le Pew had moved but not far enough away for him to get in the house unscathed... Such is life in the country....

Until tomorrow

Today's menu and other topics

As usual, click on the photo to enlarge... if you can stomach it.

Besides commercial fish food and bread this is what was on the menu today. I wanted to show you how big the worms are that I fed ole Meanandlean yesterday. The plastic container on the bottom is nine inches long and as you can see some of the worms are longer than that and curling up and are trying to escape (they didn't). I've seen them bigger that that even here in my yard. I cut up the hotdogs in that container differently today and tried to cut them in worm looking strips to disguise them in hopes that I could train Meanandlean to eat them. I hoped that if I mix all that together then the worm smell might get on the hotdogs and vice-versa and perhaps I can ease him into taking other foods. The other meat in there is wild turkey cut into worm sized strips also marinating in wormy goo. Nice... All that work and old Meanandlean didn't even show up. I suppose he's still full from his huge meal of about twenty worms yesterday and I wonder how long it's going to take him to digest all those worms? I bet they weighed a pound or more - he's probably sick. I don't have any worms for tomorrow so I'll either have to dig some or just try to cut hotdog strips and hope for the best but I'll probably dig a few at least.

There were quite a few bass that showed today but the larger bluegill are still hanging back so I'm not going to allow fishing on that end of the pond anymore and I'm not allowing bass fishing at all. I didn't think Hotdog the snake was there but as soon as I started feeding he appeared at the cement blocks and started fishing. Those blocks seem to be his little home he's picked out.

I watched him for a couple of hours at least and he never even caught one little fish. Sad little snake. I'd like to catch a fish for him but I don't know how I'd get it down the bank to him. If I had it on a hook I'm afraid I'd catch a snake... I have some pincher things but they aren't long enough to reach down there. I just can't think of a way...

I got a pretty good photo of Chickenlipsfish and I have been told that he isn't a bluegill after all but a rogue Redear sunfish. Hmmmm, a rogue. What's an ole rogue doing in my pond? He's a cute fish anyway and one day may end up in the little girl's pond across the street as he's her favorite fish and she's my favorite little girl so she can have him. He's maybe around seven inches long or so, not very big, and kinda pudgy. I think he kinda looks like some kind of goldfish. He seems to play well with everyone so I don't know why he can't go in her pond.

Click on photo to enlarge.

One turtle showed up and although he didn't come real near didn't pay much attention to me either. I was wearing a yellow top. We'll see what they think tomorrow... It's supposed to be sunny - hope the pond is clear!

I plan to get my video camera out and see if I can't capture any better shots with it. By the time I upload little videos to the web the quality has gone down so much you almost can't tell what the video is. I wonder how other people do it so well?

Until tomorrow...

The never ending saga of the pond

I have a fish soap opera going on in my pond. It's a never ending saga and something new happens there every day.

This very small five fingered hand print is what I spied looking down the bank when I went to feed today. I have an intruder... I hope he was just washing his little hands or getting a drink.

It rained today thank goodness. All the goo that was on the pond yesterday has disappeared overnight. Amazing how things can change down there from day to day or even in a few hours really.

I didn't think when I first arrived down there I'd have a thing to write about today but by the end of the day I had plenty.

First off it was too cloudy and rainy to get any decent underwater photos so I took that little hand print photo. Hotdog the snake was there on the concrete blocks fishing and Meanandlean was back after a few days absence. There were hardly any bluegill really - probably only about twenty or thirty possibly and they were small. I did see some larger ones but they are hanging way back from the bank (maybe they haven't yet forgotten the fishing the other day?) Meanandlean was in a very grumpy mood and chasing all the other bass away making it really difficult for me to feed. I had to throw a good distance from the bank and as the sun wasn't out it's extra difficult to see them. This chasing the other fish went on for more than an hour. I did notice that when the bass stake a spot though they only pay attention to other bass. They never chase bluegill out of their areas. Only time I see them chasing bluegill is for a meal. Meanandlean hunted for a couple hours and, as usual, never caught anything. He is so thin he wouldn't make a meal for a grasshopper.

I saw Hotdog the snake strike a half a dozen times and never catch anything either. I even peppered the water around them with bits of bread and they still were unsuccessful. Pathetic.

A few snapping turtles thought about coming in for a snack but eyeballed me and decided against it. I wonder why they will come in at times and at other times look at me like I'm going to eat them or have cooties? It makes me wonder if it has anything to do with the color or shades of my clothing? I can't think of a thing else I change from day to day that would make a bit of difference. I think I'll keep a little record and see if it doesn't make a difference. Today I had a light blue top and lavender pants - a good combination for a tea party at the pond except it was PJs as usual. I think I'll just find out if that could be what it is...

I didn't take my phone with me to the pond so after awhile I was checked on so I had company. Meanandlean kept guarding the whole feeding spot and staring up at us and finally I decided to go get a grasshopper for him. I've tried to throw them in at the bank on that side in the past but it's about five feet up and by the time you throw one all the way down to the water they have sprouted wings and merrily flown for freedom twirling and buzzing out over the pond, making a big circle and coming right back to shore landing safely somewhere in the tall grasses of the bank - not going to be a meal today! Meanandlean has never taken any kind of food I've offered so imagine my surprise when I successfully threw the hopper in that time and he grabbed it so fast the wake shook the pond! He was so hungry poor thing! Now, I can't keep catching hoppers for that side as ninety percent wouldn't even hit the water and most of those would probably be eaten by another fish anyway. There simply has to be a solution.

A suggestion was made to try to throw in a worm. Right now we are digging up our gray water line to replace it and have dug up about fifty feet of it. It has a bunch of big juicy worms so I went to get some of them. The worms that live down in the ground around my house are really large ones and it's not uncommon for one to get to be about eight inches and as big around as a small finger with thick tough skins. I came back to the pond with about five or six. I tossed one towards him and he lunged and grabbed! He didn't hesitate an instant and got it as it hit the water! I guess the reason I'm so amazed is because all this time I've been feeding all these fish and staring down at that skinny old bass who won't even flinch at anything I'm feeding and this time he KNOWS I've got something different. I think it's just amazing that he sees me day after day throwing in all kinds of stuff and the one day I throw in something he likes he goes for it and gets moving BEFORE it hits the water. These bass are really something! Half the time you think they aren't even paying attention but they sure are! Way back when I started feeding I noticed that I had one (Crybaby) that could tell whether I had a piece of biscuit or a piece of pancake in my hand before it hit the water - there isn't a lot of difference there.... I don't think I could differentiate that myself if it were being thrown at me.

Meanandlean ate all the worms except for one. I threw one over on Hotdog to see if he would eat it. Nope... I got on my cart and went for more worms. I returned and made several more trips for worms and all in all Meanandlean ate around twenty of those big giant worms. His sides were buldging out so far he looked obscene. I wish I could have gotten a photo - a before and after would have been something. He still wanted more but it was getting kinda dark and I really was having trouble seeing him so I quit. I have more worms in a bucket and I hope they are still alive tomorrow. Those were really big worms and I just can't believe he ate that many. I'll try remember to get a photo of one of the worms tomorrow.

Double, double, toil and trouble

Around noon I went to the pond today and just in time for Halloween what did I find? Egads. Of course, as usual, the photo enlarges if you click on it. Thanks to our old pal Macbeth, a perfect description came to mind for what I saw....

Double, double, toil and trouble;

Fire, burn; and caldron, bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,

Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,

Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,

Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing,--

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Maybe the rain will come tonight and wash it all away... Yesterday it was a red color and today it's an icky black scum and all on the side I feed where the breeze has blown it. I threw food out blindly today and it wasn't a bit fun. Afterwards I headed down to the nursery at the end of the pond and was throwing out the baby food (fish flakes from Walmart) when Hotdog the snake popped up from behind a big chunk of grass out in the water and headed towards me. He evidently had seen the movement of the baby fish eating and was closing in for a meal. He was only about a foot from my feet when my phone rang in the cart. I slowly eased backwards hoping he wouldn't latch on to my pink shoes. I'm crippled and would have fallen flat in the mud for sure trying to get him unattached from my foot. That would have made a good video though - old lady in pajamas mud wrestles snake - gosh, I could send that in to American's funniest videos.

I haven't seen the other two snakes, Brownie or Smiling Sally in some time now. For that matter I haven't seen Leanandmean since he caught that fish and swam away. I hope the pond clears and I can see what's going on down there soon...

Rocky and Hotdog

My sister has gone back across the U.S. and I hate it. Some how I need to get her to move out here. I need help feeding all these fish and animals. The pond critters are just a drop in the bucket and there are many more creatures around the place that get fed and watched.

On Sunday after all the bass had been fed I had thrown a piece of bread down by Hotdog who was fishing by the concrete blocks. I threw the bread down there hoping a little bluegill would come close enough for him to catch. Watching him I don't think he sees very well as it take quite a bit of movement to get him to strike. Anyway, as I watched I saw Rocky tip toeing his way around the edges of the pond looking for scraps. I know snapping turtles are supposed to be these voracious fish eaters but the ones in my pond always seems to be ignoring all the fish and tiptoeing along the bottom of the pond with their long necks stuck way out snaking back and forth looking for the most part like a wingless vulture eyeballing a nice piece of road kill. They do a real good job of keeping the bottom of the pond clean of anything dead that's for sure... It's funny to watch them and they move so differently from the red eared slider turtles in the pond who swim around instead of tiptoeing along.

I'm getting off of my story as usual... Rocky is on his way and making a beeline - in a swervy snapping turtle kinda way - right for where Hotdog is fishing. I get the camera and turn it on. The video is what happens next. Rocky sees or smells or finds the bread and heads toward it. Hotdog, sensing the movement and thinking he's going to get a meal strikes and bites Rocky right on the side of the head. Rocky doesn't flinch. Hotdog realizes a mistake, strikes again and gets bread (yuk), then realizes there is something too big to tangle with in the water with him and leaves. Rocky knew he got bit but still wants the bread so takes it runs with it. Rocky eats the bread and in a few minutes Hotdog came back to fish again.

Earlier that that I threw hotdogs in for the bass and commercial food for La Torpeda and the bluegill and bread. Hotdog again grabbed a piece of hotdog like the other day and I got a tiny video of it with him looking up at me with it in his mouth. Cute but he just sat there. I glanced down to change the setting on the camera to take a photo and when I looked back he was gone.

Now much later on Sunday three of us went fishing, caught up some bluegill, fried them up with Zataran's fish fry coating and I made hushpuppies. YUM YUM. I need to catch about a jillion more bluegill.

Yesterday the pond looked awful and there is some kind of red algae crud hanging on the top. I hope it's gone today as I hate trying to strain to see in the water. Rain is in the forecast and I sure hope we get some. I haven't put any more concrete blocks or rocks or anything in there where I want to put a little place to stand. Maybe I'll go to the hardware store and buy some today.