Let's Meet the Fish!

This is our koi pond.

It is actually the third pond my hubby has built. Many years ago, after we had the pool built, I looked upon my yard and said, "We need a waterfall in that corner behind the pool". Being the wonderfully clever, well-trained hubby he is, he promptly built a water fall with a tiny little pool to catch the water. It was Lovely. Well, one day, the car wash was getting rid of some fish. They had a beautiful huge koi pond filled with glorious fish. Once a month they would back wash the pond into a reservoir intended for that purpose. When they would clean up the car wash at night, chemicals would get rinsed into the reservoir. Apparently these were prolific little fish, and eggs were also washed into the reservoir.

Hubby brought home the little fishlings that had hatched in the toxic waste pond. Apparently since they were used to living in the worst of conditions, they THRIVED in the tiny little pool. Soon hubby had to build a real pond for them. Soon we were giving away toxic waste pond fishlings, for they were multiplying!!! Just last year he enlarged the pond once last time (we'll see). Shamu is an original. He is 16 inches long.

With a larger pond, Baby Doll and I were off the to fish store and purchased four new fish. One of them was Bobo. We named him Bobo because of his clown nose. Baby Doll is terrified of clowns, but she tolerates Bobo. She still has nightmares related to younger years, when she and PFC Ryan were teens, and he would sneak in her room at night, in the dark, and whisper in a high-pitched voice,

"Bobo's in your room"

This was Frank. Oh how we loved Frank. Although, he was a useless fish, for when the algae would grow, he was impossible to find. I would stand at the pond for twenty minutes shouting,

"Frank! Where are you, Frank!"

After almost one year, Frank mysteriously died.

**weeps**

This was Paul.

Paul was a most beloved fish. Paul loved his new home. He would eat algae nonstop, all day long, and still never miss a meal of pond sticks. Paul Thrived. Paul got fat. Paul wiggled as fast as he could to get to dinner on time. Paul had gigantic eyes. Paul was entertaining. This was truly our favorite fish. He was more than a fish...

He was Paul.

I awoke one morning to the sound of too much activity in the pond.

A fish, who shall remain nameless, was ferociously attacking Paul.

The nameless fish was relocated to the neighborhood canal.

I am certain soon I will read in the newspaper about cattle being found

ravaged along the canal road....

The Evening News:

"A great mystery surrounds the canals in Gilbert..."

Paul died of his injuries.

This is our current Fish Family. They are happy. They all get along. It was shortly after this, that I gazed upon another area of my yard and said to hubby,

"We need a _ _ _ right here!"

And he built it.

Photos coming soon!