Well crisis averted, the pond’s nitrite levels are heading south and I’m a happy camper. Back to thinking more about landscaping and the UMKC koi show. Meanwhile we also have the summer wave of twenty something year olds visiting throughout July. Perhaps we can press them into service, like hauling pea gravel bags???

The UMKC koi show is the first weekend in August and I wasn’t really planning to show any of my koi. Being a novice koi keeper, there’s a lot to learn. So I got talked into showing a koi or two and have decided on my five koi – the yamabuki (who was actually raised by someone else until the spring auction), a sanke (same deal), a showa, a chagoi and an asagi. I think they are attractive and will look good together. One of the show’s purpose is just to raise interest in koi keeping. Of course we would all like to win something….

Remember little Cha Cha who was nearly dead this winter? He’s doing quite nicely albeit stubby fins (which are growing back ever so slowly). He’s quite the eater and looks funny paddling around furiously. The rest of the koi kind of glide with their fins stretched and there’s Cha Cha doing his thing. He may never fully recover but I’m hoping he will eventually reach a good size. Some koi keepers abandon their koi but I get a little attached to the ones we have in our pond.

 

So life in the pond is not very dramatic lately. I’m sure we’ll have them totally stressed out when we try to catch the five koi for the show. Swim trunks, seine net, special koi net will be required. I will be most likely stressed as well. I think we’ll need to call for some help in the pond as well.