Spring is nearly here!
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Well yesterdays barbecue was a success judging by the speed the food disappeared and no mistake. I finished cooking, cleared up around the barbecue and the sausages and beefburgers had already gone along with all the bread rolls! There were two chops and three chicken drumsticks left that Cyn and I grabbed and shared. The grilled lamb chops were commented on by at least 7 guests as absolutely superb as was Cynthia's jellyless fruit trifle which also disappeared at an amazing rate of knots in fact we were very gratified to report later on that just about everything offered yesterday was eaten. After our satisfied Liverpool and District Koi Society guests had departed back to their homes on Merseyside we had our own very pleasant wind down evening with the participating club members enjoying a relaxing drink and planning the next pond visits for next year. It was decided that we would do a reverse of this year and start off with the breakfast stop this end here instead of Mold and finishing at Bagillt for a barbecue, thats something to look forward to next year. This months meeting has been cancelled at Nigel and Maureen's due to work commitment so next meeting planned is August and Ian's place
Last edited by pollygog on Tue Jul 02, 2013 6:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Sequel to Sunday's barbecue was I was checking my filter out yesterday afternoon and noticed that the water level was down yet the pond level seemed normal, this normally means the filter needs flushing which I duly did.
Still a low water level of entry then I had a thought, earlier that morning Cynthia had noticed one of her muslin food covers was missing, despite searching for it high and low we concluded that it had either blown into woods, unlikely, or gone into rubbish bags, probable. We turned all the rubbish bags out, no sign!. I initially concluded that the cover had blown into pond and partialy blocked my bottom drain so I fished around bottom drain in pond, nothing obvious there so I then got a length of 2" flexible hose and pushed it through from Nexus end down to 90% bend about 4ft down. I encountered a blockage so withdrew pipe and measured it against outside of 4" pipe to determine where blockage was, it was right on bend!, but thats Soddes law. I then pushed a breeding brush I have very carefully down the drain, its the green nylon giant bottle brush type that are about 6ft long and with a flexible stainless steel core, the bristles are approximately 8" wide just right for cleaning 4" pipes. When I had got the brush as far down as it would go I pulled it back out as fast as I could, and this is where I failed to do joined up thinking, the resulting powerful surge filled my shoes with water and soaked my trousers, it also caused a suction that pulled the obstruction out, a white disposable plastic bowl from the night before!.
Still no signs of Cynthia's food cover though.
LIONS V AUS MATCH NEXT SATURDAY
Still a low water level of entry then I had a thought, earlier that morning Cynthia had noticed one of her muslin food covers was missing, despite searching for it high and low we concluded that it had either blown into woods, unlikely, or gone into rubbish bags, probable. We turned all the rubbish bags out, no sign!. I initially concluded that the cover had blown into pond and partialy blocked my bottom drain so I fished around bottom drain in pond, nothing obvious there so I then got a length of 2" flexible hose and pushed it through from Nexus end down to 90% bend about 4ft down. I encountered a blockage so withdrew pipe and measured it against outside of 4" pipe to determine where blockage was, it was right on bend!, but thats Soddes law. I then pushed a breeding brush I have very carefully down the drain, its the green nylon giant bottle brush type that are about 6ft long and with a flexible stainless steel core, the bristles are approximately 8" wide just right for cleaning 4" pipes. When I had got the brush as far down as it would go I pulled it back out as fast as I could, and this is where I failed to do joined up thinking, the resulting powerful surge filled my shoes with water and soaked my trousers, it also caused a suction that pulled the obstruction out, a white disposable plastic bowl from the night before!.
Still no signs of Cynthia's food cover though.
LIONS V AUS MATCH NEXT SATURDAY
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Forgot to mention that there was 27 persons turned up for barbecue last Sunday, excellent turnout for the two clubs.
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roselanekoi
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: Spring is nearly here!
A mention should also go to to the cook for his excellent work on the barbecue cooking the food. Well done Phil and Cynthia for putting on an excellent spread for our visitors from Liverpool,
Colin
Colin
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Thank you Colin for those kind words.
Another item of news that I forgot to mention with all the work on the barbecue was the tragic and untimely death of Kevin our resident toad, done to death, murdered in the prime of his life by a hedgehog in the middle of our lawn a fortnight ago. Toads are quite territorial and can live an astonishing 40 years or so. He had sat in the same place under a heavy oak stump for the past four years at the back of our veg filter and croaked, thats how we know its Kevin as the croaking has stopped!. Sadly we found Kevin minus his right front and rear legs and his head badly chewed. I reckon the hedgehog had got a taste of the foul tasting poisonous bufotoxin in the glands on his neck and lost interest in him.
He was buried under an apple tree in garden with 8 baby bluetits that were also found dead that morning in the nestbox opposite our kitchen window. We thought that they'd fledged and peeped in box to check, without a doubt the sparrow hawk had caught and killed parent bird as it came through on patrol every day.
Another item of news that I forgot to mention with all the work on the barbecue was the tragic and untimely death of Kevin our resident toad, done to death, murdered in the prime of his life by a hedgehog in the middle of our lawn a fortnight ago. Toads are quite territorial and can live an astonishing 40 years or so. He had sat in the same place under a heavy oak stump for the past four years at the back of our veg filter and croaked, thats how we know its Kevin as the croaking has stopped!. Sadly we found Kevin minus his right front and rear legs and his head badly chewed. I reckon the hedgehog had got a taste of the foul tasting poisonous bufotoxin in the glands on his neck and lost interest in him.
He was buried under an apple tree in garden with 8 baby bluetits that were also found dead that morning in the nestbox opposite our kitchen window. We thought that they'd fledged and peeped in box to check, without a doubt the sparrow hawk had caught and killed parent bird as it came through on patrol every day.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
What an amazing week.
First on Saturday The British and Irish Lions convincingly beat the Wallabies,what a scoreline, 41-16 and what is best is W.G was vindicated over his controversial decisions to drop O' Driscoll and to play 10 Welsh players with Alun Wyn Jones as captain, strength to his elbow I say, now, watch him walk on water
Today and Andy Murray has convincingly won Wimbledon beating Novak Djokovic with three straight setts, thats some incredible achievement.
Prior to the excellent sporting weekend Cyn and I aquired a new dog!, this is despite convincing ourselves we didn't need or want another she wheedled her way into our hearts. Lottie is a two year old Bolognese whose owners had just split up and was looking for rehoming quickly. We were told about the dog Wednesday, we went to see the dog Thursday and to introduce her to Hamish to check response and we were so pleased we brought her home with us, so, we are back to two dogs again and its nice, only downside is I wanted to call her Spag Bol but Lottie it is.
We expected to be up all night with her but not a squeak and quiet every night since, what a little treasure, she's biddable well behaved and doesn't yapp as so many small dogs do, in fact we only heard her bark twice while throwing a ball for her and Hamish in the garden, just a little wuff wuff.
Postscript to the hedgehog killing Kevin the toad is Saturday morning I was out 7.00 am watering my garden with a hose before the sun got too hot and went down to my wildlife pond to top it up. Something was moving slowly through thick weed on surface then I spotted a little snout and realised that it was a hedgehog fallen in pond and struggling vainly to get out but hopelessly tangled in the Elodea and duckweed.
I looped hose around him and pulled him out and he was so tired and cold he lay on his back fully open and allowed me to pull the weed off him. His little paws were freezing cold to the touch so I moved him up the garden into the sun put him in a box and continued to clean him off then when he warmed he started to respond and curl up so I put him in shed in the dark for a kip. I've taken some photo's of him and will post them later. 11.00 last night we released him after he had a feed of dog food and he seemed none the worse for his experience but scuttled off across lawn to my veg patch.
First on Saturday The British and Irish Lions convincingly beat the Wallabies,what a scoreline, 41-16 and what is best is W.G was vindicated over his controversial decisions to drop O' Driscoll and to play 10 Welsh players with Alun Wyn Jones as captain, strength to his elbow I say, now, watch him walk on water
Today and Andy Murray has convincingly won Wimbledon beating Novak Djokovic with three straight setts, thats some incredible achievement.
Prior to the excellent sporting weekend Cyn and I aquired a new dog!, this is despite convincing ourselves we didn't need or want another she wheedled her way into our hearts. Lottie is a two year old Bolognese whose owners had just split up and was looking for rehoming quickly. We were told about the dog Wednesday, we went to see the dog Thursday and to introduce her to Hamish to check response and we were so pleased we brought her home with us, so, we are back to two dogs again and its nice, only downside is I wanted to call her Spag Bol but Lottie it is.
We expected to be up all night with her but not a squeak and quiet every night since, what a little treasure, she's biddable well behaved and doesn't yapp as so many small dogs do, in fact we only heard her bark twice while throwing a ball for her and Hamish in the garden, just a little wuff wuff.
Postscript to the hedgehog killing Kevin the toad is Saturday morning I was out 7.00 am watering my garden with a hose before the sun got too hot and went down to my wildlife pond to top it up. Something was moving slowly through thick weed on surface then I spotted a little snout and realised that it was a hedgehog fallen in pond and struggling vainly to get out but hopelessly tangled in the Elodea and duckweed.
I looped hose around him and pulled him out and he was so tired and cold he lay on his back fully open and allowed me to pull the weed off him. His little paws were freezing cold to the touch so I moved him up the garden into the sun put him in a box and continued to clean him off then when he warmed he started to respond and curl up so I put him in shed in the dark for a kip. I've taken some photo's of him and will post them later. 11.00 last night we released him after he had a feed of dog food and he seemed none the worse for his experience but scuttled off across lawn to my veg patch.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Judging by the deposits on lawn the hedgehog is none the worse for his dunking experience in pond and he's eating well too going by the size of his dumps!
Despite changing 55 watt uv tube in Pro Clear filter my koi pond is very murky but its almost certainly down to hot sunny weather, the upside is there are 17 flowers on the water lillies and the fish are all very fit and healthy and up and feeding well. Downside to the hot weather is the interminable watering, the hosepipe is out from first thing in the morning and then last thing at night particularly damping down the greenhouse in the mornings to keep the dreaded red spider at bay.
I have given up on commercial pesticides due to environment and wildlife damage they cause plus there are so many natural alternatives today its just finding out what works for you.
Its not a nice thought really, spraying noxious chemicals on something you intend eating!
The hot weather is rapidly ripening everything fruitwise, goosegogs, cape gooseberries, Tayberries, figs, (grown my biggest ever this year and taken a photo of the monster,) all been picked and eaten this week as are the Remontant strawberries in the hanging baskets in the greenhouse. Also in the greenhouse the peaches are changing colour from green to yellow and developing the red flush so they will be ready any day now, not as big as last years but no surprise there as last year it only grew three peaches and this year theres 14 (this after rigorous thinning) so I expect some trade off size-wise.
Lottie our new Bolognese dog is really settling in to her new home and its a week today since we collected her, how time flies. I know I can speak for Cynthia when I say we certainly have no regrets or misgivings about taking her on, she is a little love.
Despite changing 55 watt uv tube in Pro Clear filter my koi pond is very murky but its almost certainly down to hot sunny weather, the upside is there are 17 flowers on the water lillies and the fish are all very fit and healthy and up and feeding well. Downside to the hot weather is the interminable watering, the hosepipe is out from first thing in the morning and then last thing at night particularly damping down the greenhouse in the mornings to keep the dreaded red spider at bay.
I have given up on commercial pesticides due to environment and wildlife damage they cause plus there are so many natural alternatives today its just finding out what works for you.
Its not a nice thought really, spraying noxious chemicals on something you intend eating!
The hot weather is rapidly ripening everything fruitwise, goosegogs, cape gooseberries, Tayberries, figs, (grown my biggest ever this year and taken a photo of the monster,) all been picked and eaten this week as are the Remontant strawberries in the hanging baskets in the greenhouse. Also in the greenhouse the peaches are changing colour from green to yellow and developing the red flush so they will be ready any day now, not as big as last years but no surprise there as last year it only grew three peaches and this year theres 14 (this after rigorous thinning) so I expect some trade off size-wise.
Lottie our new Bolognese dog is really settling in to her new home and its a week today since we collected her, how time flies. I know I can speak for Cynthia when I say we certainly have no regrets or misgivings about taking her on, she is a little love.
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Anybody out there with 'Sky' the list of televised Premier League matches is published by World of Sport-Yahoo! Eurosport UK to download (or print off and stick on wall as I did)
First match on 17th August is Liverpool v Stoke. Newly promoted Crystal Palace have a baptism of fire on the 18th playing Spurs as do Hull against the mighty Chelsea now guided (courtesy of Russia) by H M. 'The Special One'.
19 flowers this morning on waterlillies and the first tiny newts have hatched and appeared in overflow pond which is crystal clear unlike my koi pond which is still murky, dosed it with Hydrogen Peroxide last night but no difference this morning, still the extra oxygen won't go amiss in this hot weather as the lillies and watercress give off quite a lot of Carbon Dioxide through the night. Lots of beginners have lost all their fish particularly orfe through this nightly exchange as plants including algae use up Oxygen and replace it with Carbon Dioxide so keep an eye on your Oxygen levels during this very hot weather and if you're not sure leave your airstone on of a night, my airstone has run continuously day and night during this recent hot spell.
First match on 17th August is Liverpool v Stoke. Newly promoted Crystal Palace have a baptism of fire on the 18th playing Spurs as do Hull against the mighty Chelsea now guided (courtesy of Russia) by H M. 'The Special One'.
19 flowers this morning on waterlillies and the first tiny newts have hatched and appeared in overflow pond which is crystal clear unlike my koi pond which is still murky, dosed it with Hydrogen Peroxide last night but no difference this morning, still the extra oxygen won't go amiss in this hot weather as the lillies and watercress give off quite a lot of Carbon Dioxide through the night. Lots of beginners have lost all their fish particularly orfe through this nightly exchange as plants including algae use up Oxygen and replace it with Carbon Dioxide so keep an eye on your Oxygen levels during this very hot weather and if you're not sure leave your airstone on of a night, my airstone has run continuously day and night during this recent hot spell.
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roselanekoi
- Posts: 308
- Joined: Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:38 pm
Re: Spring is nearly here!
The Liverpool V Stoke match is being shown on the new BT Sports channel which I believe is free for the first 12 months to BT internet customers. For everyone else it's £12 per month.
I couldn't agree more with the comments about aeration, in this warm weather you need your air on full blast 24 hrs a day. Remember that it's the larger koi that suffer most from low oxygen and your biggest koi will be the one to die first if you allow the oxygen level in the water to fall to critical levels,
Colin
I couldn't agree more with the comments about aeration, in this warm weather you need your air on full blast 24 hrs a day. Remember that it's the larger koi that suffer most from low oxygen and your biggest koi will be the one to die first if you allow the oxygen level in the water to fall to critical levels,
Colin
Re: Spring is nearly here!
Well put Colin, I know its labouring a point but oxygen levels are critical in hot weather as the warmer water gets the less oxygen it can hold,(most of us did this basic experiment in the science lab at school) this is the reason trout and most other salmonids live in fast flowing oxygen rich rivers and streams, the exception are char and their cousins that live in some of the deeper lakes of the UK, Bala and Windermere are good examples. Carp will tolerate less oxygenated water because of their more sedentary lifestyle and the ability to gulp air at the surface but only up to a point, the water can quickly get unsustainable of life in the constraints of an artificial garden pond on a scorching hot summers day.
My biggest fig this year weighed 36 grammes and was nicked by my sister in law on Sunday, it was on a plate with a second fig of 31 grammes and they were spotted and claimed "Oh I just love fresh figs how nice can I have them" and they were gone, back to Shrewsbury. As sisters in law go she's certainly one of the best and as the nice woman said theres plenty more were they came from, but, only two more thats ripe sadly!
I changed my UV tube on the 18th June and when I change tubes I write date of exchange down on old tube sleeve to keep as a reference, my water was still like pea soup so I presumed that the tube was faulty after just 4 weeks and changed tubes again on Sat the 13th and guess what, water is still like pea soup today, now whats next?
My biggest fig this year weighed 36 grammes and was nicked by my sister in law on Sunday, it was on a plate with a second fig of 31 grammes and they were spotted and claimed "Oh I just love fresh figs how nice can I have them" and they were gone, back to Shrewsbury. As sisters in law go she's certainly one of the best and as the nice woman said theres plenty more were they came from, but, only two more thats ripe sadly!
I changed my UV tube on the 18th June and when I change tubes I write date of exchange down on old tube sleeve to keep as a reference, my water was still like pea soup so I presumed that the tube was faulty after just 4 weeks and changed tubes again on Sat the 13th and guess what, water is still like pea soup today, now whats next?