My goldfish pond

[callingcolleen1]

Yes, never been down that way, one of these days if I ever win the lottery, I will venture once more out of Canada and come visit all my pond buddies and see all the different states. I have only ever been down to Great Falls Montana and Las Vegas 20 years ago.

Was Illinois hard hit by the bad economic situation too? I know things are looking pretty gloomy up here, lots of gloom and doom and what ever happened to the "boom"? Prices for food going up, packages getting smaller, lots of empty commercial buildings, and we work even harder these days with less and less staff where I work. Big mill by my house is shutting down, local news paper said people that worked there are shocked and worried about their future. Any signs of improvement down there?

 

[CountryEscape]

Nope, it's almost identical here in Illinois to what you are describing. That drought last year is going to hit the whole US with higher grain and meat prices. And, when you consider how many things are made from grains (corn, wheat, beans) and meat? Yep, that's going to mean pretty much everything that you put on your kitchen table for supper. Commercial factories in my immediate area have been going out of business for the last 7 years, before the economic downfall, but more so in the last 4 years. We might get a business in town, they offer no tax for the first 5 years ... they stay 5 years and then close up shop. Sometimes I wonder if it's hurting our area or helping it. Lots of people on unemployment, but there are jobs to be had, too, for those who really want to work. It's the upper class workers, the ones making higher wages, that are losing their jobs due to cost cutting by the big companies, that are hurt the most, as those type of jobs are very few and far between.

 

[CometKeith]

CE I agree. It has hit everyone from poor to wealthy. I know quite a few people that were worth 7 figures or even more and they lost everything. The problem was everything was in real estate that was over leveraged. No one ever thought values could drop 40 or 50%. In the Chicago area there are still a lot of high wage earners. It seems like anyone in computers is making good money and there are lots of other industries doing well. Our oldest daughters boyfriend is doing really well. He just bought himself a nice sports car for 80K cash! Colleen, We have one of the highest foreclosure rates, buts that what keeps me busy now. I do a lot of work for banks fixing up their REO's. We actually had to evict someone a few weeks ago. The bank offered them money to move and they just ignored the offers. Everything ended up on their front lawn put together nice and neat by our crew. I felt bad for them at first until the sheriff's police told me how they got arrested for burglarizing the neighboring house and a few more nearby. Stole a bunch of rifles... Glad they weren't pointing them at us when we showed up!

 

[addy1]

The foreclosure we bought in florida, the previous owners moved in, made no payment for the 4 years they lived there, did not even make the first payment. Paid no association dues and where paid by the bank to move out without damaging the house. Win win for them.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I feel bad for all the people out of work, but then new jobs will eventually replace the old jobs and life will go on. The big flour mill that is closing is located right by the creek where I live, about one block away, it will be strange not to hear the hum of the flour mill, it was in business for over 100 years and it paid out good money to the people who worked there. They say the mill closure will affect many, not just the people that worked there, but the truck drivers and transport companies and even the train that had a track right to the mill to take away the flour.

It will be a quite summer by the pond this year without the usual factory hum for sure!

 

[CountryEscape]

I am thankful every day for my job, and my life! I bought my house at the "low" 3.5 years ago, and it has appreciated in value more than what I have put into it so far. I also have a very good job, better than great benefits, and feel very secure in it. I guess the State could decide to stop helping people get paternity/child support established and enforced, but I don't see that in the near future. This is a win/win situation for the State, helping keep more people from receiving cash assistance in our State. I hope I'm not wrong, at least for the next 8 years or so!

 

[CometKeith]

Colleen, nice pictures. CE, I feel there is no excuse for not supporting the kids you bring into this world and have no sympathy for deadbeat dads. We have personal experience with one that was my wife's first husband. Worse yet is a dad choosing not being involved in their kids lives. It hurts their children in so many ways. Back to ponds: I saw two of my babies today through a hole in the ice. One I didn't recognize. Either it was one of the black ones or orange ones that changed its colors.

 

[CountryEscape]

Totally agree with you, Keith, after all you support all your baby goldfish that appear in your ponds! Sounds like your babies are changing colors under the ice, and will reappear in all different shades come spring! I've been watching my goldfish. They come out to be seen, the koi are staying hid under the "garage" shelf the lily pots are on. I'm sure glad I have those, as they like them, so do the goldfish. I've seen the 4 baby goldfish I was watching toward the end of the year. The one that was white with red and black specks on it is mostly white now, just a couple of red spots I could see. I'm hoping to get some babies that are tri-colors Shubies this year, now that I have that beautiful large Shubunkin with long flowing tail from Pond Kid, plus the 2 I got at Wal-Mart last year, that are kind of the "blue/white" background, with red and black spots all over. Even saw at least 6 of the fantails this past Tuesday while I was browsing the ponds.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I too just hate dead beat dads that want nothing to do with their own children! My favorite nefew who was born three months premie, never once saw his dad! Twenty five years ago, I took pictures of my newborn nefew to him, and he slammed the door in my face and called the police! I see this loser shopping for groceries at the store where I work, don't think he even reconzies me, he was my sisters ex boyfriend. He married another woman a year or so after my sister had his kid, never once asked how he was, just never wanted anything to do with him. I don't think he is still married, cause he is always shopping alone, and he's cheap! He sneaks the expensive bulk chocolates and eats them and leaves the wrappers in the bakery! I seen him, I know what he did, and he is not worth my time or energy, he will die not ever knowing his only son, and I take comfort in knowing that his loss is my gain! My nefew is like my only son! That kid is very special to me, and we are his favorite aunt and uncle!

 

[CometKeith]

Hey Colleen. I am of the firm belief that families are who you make of it. I have a nice large family now and there are some people in it you might not expect and there are some people not in it that might be a surprise to an outsider. I haven't been on the forum in a few weeks and see I have no warning points. Is that good or bad?

 

[addy1]

Hey Colleen. I am of the firm belief that families are who you make of it. I have a nice large family now and there are some people in it you might not expect and there are some people not in it that might be a surprise to an outsider. I haven't been on the forum in a few weeks and see I have no warning points. Is that good or bad?

Good Keith, you don't want warning points! Means you a good boy, nice poster......non spammer..............

 

[CometKeith]

oh, it would have been more fun if everyone got warning points and then we could use them to warn other people. Like everybody starts with 10 points and then it would go down as we used them up!

 

[CometKeith]

I have been lurking around looking at some of the pretty flowers some people have been posting while I have been living in the barren tundra up north here and to be frank have been quite jealous! My pond has been covered with ice and then snow for quite some time. Finally we had a few warm days... that is above freezing and I decided to shovel my pond. Naturally my wife thought i was crazy. Well I started shoveling and found a nice hole in the ice under all the snow. So it may not look exciting but it was to me. I even saw a few fish through the hole. Incidentally the hole is where my air pump is so that is why this part melted when the rest of the pond was frozen.

 

[herzausstahl]

Lol Keith I know how you feel! I remember working on the pond shortly after this time last year. Don't see it happening this year. I just left all the snow on mine, partly because it was a drift and because I figured it would act as great insulation.

 

[j.w]

Hallelujah the seas have parted and there is light at the end of the rainbow or snowbow whatever you guys want to call it!