Dig into Spring

Last night, Debbie and I sat on the patio, watching the water, and reflecting. We do that a lot, especially during the spring months, when the water in the swimming pond is a beautiful, clear, green tint. We enjoy ending the day with a few minutes to wind down and take in all our property has to offer. Across the pond, post oaks have fully leafed, mixed with elm trees and native cedar that adds a variety of green. Turtles rise, a few escapee Koi bless us with their colorful gliding presence. A wood duck chattered in the distance about the same time the first hummingbird flitted its way to the feeder my son gave for my 64^th birthday.

We were coming off Easter weekend where six of our grandchildren spent time with us. We hung out with family, watching little cousins spend time together, riding plasma cars down the driveway, watching their parents relax, watching Meems beam with pride as several of the youngest caught their first fish, roasted their first marshmallows for S’mores. I had conversations with my kids that dug into the depths of all our souls. Going to church to celebrate Resurrection Day was significant. We planted several of our new raised bed gardens, and let the kids pick out some chicks at a nearby Purina store to bring home and care for. But, the whole four days of time with family here revolved around water. Just when we thought the weekend was over, our 14-year-old grand, Nolan, called and asked if he and some buddies could come spend the night and hang out. It was 5:20 p.m. on Easter Sunday and Debbie and I were pretty tired after three full days of hosting. When Nolan made his proposal that his buddies come over, all I could say was, “Heck yeah, c’mon!” His dad collected six 14-15-year old boys, grabbed some hot dogs, and by 7:00 they were fishing, exploring, and having a ball. We built a fire, roasted hot dogs, and made S’mores. But, even with all that fun food stuff, and darkness well underway, the lure and magnetism of water couldn’t keep those six boys away. They donned some swimming shorts and did everything they could to talk each other into jumping off the dock. As Debbie and I sat in chairs listening to their chatter, we looked for fish around the Deep Glow fish light, enjoyed the landscape lighting and mild flood lights that tried to set the mood. Finally, after about fifteen minutes of deliberation, a single file sprint line of teenagers bolted down the dock and flung themselves into 70-degree water. It didn’t take them long to get out. But they lined up again five more times and jumped in. Debbie and I just giggled at those kids and watched them enjoy each other—and our pond.

That brings me to last night. Debbie and I sitting on the patio, reflecting on the weekend and the amazing memories of family time. We both recognize the value of what we have. We truly do. Water, our ponds, are an integral part of who we are and are a major draw. I mean, really, do I think our 14-year-old grandson would call late on Easter and invite himself to bring five of his buddies 40 miles to spend the night, just to hang with us? Nah, it’s not because we’re cool as much as we have a cool place to be, and that swimming pond is the biggest attraction. Those boys got here at 7:00 p.m. and had to be at workout Monday morning at 9:00 a.m.

Our water is special. So are we for sharing it. Your water is special, too. That’s a big reason this magazine exists. We are all stewards of it. If our swimming pond was full of algae, overgrown with junk, and had an odor, we probably wouldn’t have—no need to go there. The pond is beautiful. We hope yours is, too.

Putting together a magazine takes quite a bit of work, but when we have such an amazing topic, water, it makes editing and writing much more fun. This issue we have another entertaining, enlightening, and educational list of articles and stories. Seems each issue, often unintended, a theme develops. This issue, we’ve got several different views about aquatic furbearers. Dave Beasley shares his ideas on the value of electrofishing, there’s an article about how to judge your fish, Eric West talks about what happens during post-spawn, and I have thoughts about how your lake influences the fishery—or is it vice versa? There are a couple of articles to help us understand the different properties of water, and some things northern pond owners can do now to get ready for ice fishing. Speaking of northern ponds, check out Ask the Boss this issue. There are a couple of interesting things there.

Most of all, enjoy the remainder of this spring, your family, and your precious waters. Debbie and I will. Oh, and share this magazine with others around you who have ponds and lakes. We’ve got to keep spreading the word. Water is a big deal.

Fish on!