My goldfish pond

[fresia1999]

Well shoot, the video didn't come up.

 

[fresia1999]

Like the video Comet. If you ever get to go to the Smokies make sure to go to Cade's Cove. Beautiful country and lots of wildlife including some bear sitings.

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks fresia, I'll definitely try going to the smokies next time we go in that direction. I did see some bears in Alaska a few years ago. They fly you to an island that has a fish hatchery and the bears just sit around and wait for the salmon they send downstream. You get pretty close to the bears, but you are protected by a natural barrier. It's much better watching them in the wild than at a zoo. We also went through Albemarle County the other day. It's really pretty and you can see why a lot of notable people have called it home. http://en.wikipedia....ounty,_Virginia
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[humbirdlover]

You would prolly be surprised Comet, just how many ponds are around here. But most of them are farm ponds, LOL We live close to one of the seven bends of the Shenandoah River, about 10 miles from here in Woodstock. But now the Blue Ridge Parkway is a long road that goes from up north all the way south, I think Carolina. Beautiful Skyline Drive is another beautiful road to travel, especially in Fall.

 

[sissy]

I always stop at lovers leap and have been to the natural bridge and a few of the caverns here

 

[humbirdlover]

Great pics sissy, i saw the tops of campers, do you camp? We have a 5th wheel Wildcat, and my fave place to go is down yout way, Pigeon Forge!!!

 

[CometKeith]

H-Bird, I think we drove most of that road. It was very scenic. I don't know if there are bike trails there too, but that would be fun to do also. Thanks, I'll keep in mind about skyline drive if we get down that far on our next trip. One of our daughters lives in D.C so we have been going there every year since she moved there. We got to see the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pond that was reopened the day after we arrived. I didn't see any fish, but there were a lot of ducks. Sissy, Those are great pictures. I didn't notice any of the stops labeled "lovers leap". Is that on the same highway? Attached is another baby pic photo. I was actually able to count over 20 babies at the same time while feeding the fish today. I think I counted twenty five but they move around so fast it's really hard to keep track of them. I really like the shubunkins that have bright orange or red by their head and a blue calico body. I think that is a neat combination.

 

[CountryEscape]

I'm really impressed with the color variations you have with your babies, Keith! I have yet to have a baby keep any black, so hoping now that I got the blue spotted big Shubie from PondGuy, and I also added 3 that I got at Wal-Mart, all of which have kept all 3 colors, will produce some really pretty babies next year. We shall see. Have not figured out if the large Shubie is male or female yet either. And, wouldn't it be a hoot to see little calico fantail babies?! I have a blue spotted one of them, too. LOL

 

[addy1]

Next time you come Keith stop bye we are only about an hour from dc, Come by during frog egg season, I will give you a load of green frogs to take home with you

 

[CometKeith]

CE, I think most of my shubunkins have come from a large blue-black calico I bought from Lurveys. They carry fish from Blue Ridge Fish Hatcheries. I have been really happy with their fish. I also have a spotted sarasa comet from them too. I might be giving some away if the bigger pond doesn't get the green light if you are interested in any. addy, Thanks for the invitation. I don't have a lot of free will when I go on these trips other than which museum I want to see, but i think it would be great to come out to your place and get some frogs so I will try. okay, I guess being the proud papa I can't resist showing off more baby pics!

 

[CountryEscape]

Gorgeous babies, I would be extremely proud as well!!! My favorite baby is that little one in the first 2 pics that has red head, then white, then red and then white tail. You need to be sure to keep that one! Going to be a real looker when it grows up! And, my favorite of your bigger fish is the one that mostly red, with white patch, and black and white spots in one of the last pics. I bought 3 Shubies from Wal-Mart maybe in January, had them in aquarium, and all 3 of them kept their colors exactly, so I'm really hoping that they will grow up and make some babies for me someday. I love the red and white Sarasas, but the Shubies are my favs yet. Especially when they have equal amounts of red/white/black on their bodies! That's what I'm striving for. But, I love them all, too. Will have to be getting rid of some next spring, too, just hard to bring myself to do it ... or maybe I use the excuse it's too hard to catch them! LOL Bought that 55 gal aquarium just for that fact - to catch fish, photograph them, and then let people know I have them to give away or sell! Can't offer them for sale, and have people try to pick something that I'm then supposed to try to catch, as that is next to impossible. I wish it could be done that way, but it can't. They are buggers to catch.
Oh, and your hyacinths and lettuce make me sooo jealous! I got the hyacinth growing nicely in my water "pots" next to the ponds, and blooming, so I guess I can have them there! Maybe next summer I'll try them in the pots, then throw extras into the ponds for the koi to munch on. We'll see ...

 

[addy1]

love your fish Keith, you have some great babies there and adults.

CE our walmart, I would never buy from, they redid their tanks, tiny now, over crowded and always 1-7 dead fish in each tank. The last time more dead than alive, when I went to get some kitty litter. I always look, the walmart guy said we haven't had the time to take out the dead ones yet.

 

[fresia1999]

Our Walmart right now has some beautiful Shubunkins but I am afraid to buy them.

 

[addy1]

If you buy them, just keep totally separate for a month or so. I won't buy them just because so many are dead at ours, every time I stop by, bodies in every tank.

 

[CountryEscape]

My Wal-Mart almost never has dead ones in the tanks. I know when they get new shipments, tanks are full, that's usually when I buy, and I put them in inside aquarium first before putting them into the pond. I've never lost any fish in the pond after adding them, so I think it's the matter of bad water in the WM tanks and overcrowding that kills them. Just my opinion, though. I always watch for disease, too. I feel like I'm saving them. LOL It seems that the blue colored bodies on the shubunkins retains the color best for all 3 colors staying put as they grow. I have a fantail and 2 long finned Shubies that are those colors and they are still really pretty.