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Seasons come and seasons go, but for us pond lovers, that passage of time and the changes that accompany it, are reflected in our ponds, the ways in which we interact with them, the depths with which we understand them, and the ways in which we grow together in the future.
Another layer of beauty
In my own case, the pond in my backyard is going on five years old, approximately the same age as Ryan, my first born son. Each new year of maturity has added another layer of beauty, another level of attraction, reconfirming my conviction that the pondering lifestyle enhances the quality of my own life, and the lives of all my family members. It also makes me wish that everybody in the world had a pond. Mother Earth would be a better, and safer place if they did.
Temperatures drop, and leaves fall
For a high percentage of the pondering world, this is the time of the year when the temperatures have dropped enough that you've stopped feeding your fish, the leaves on the trees have turned their magnificent colors, and are now dropping off in droves, and are being magnetically attracted to your pond.
In many cases, pond lovers will have covered their pond with netting to intercept the leaves, minimizing the debris that collects, and the challenges that will be faced come spring cleanout time.
The pump, the filter mats, and the agitator
In some cases you've taken the pump out of the skimmer and placed it in a bucket of water in the garage. You've taken the filter mats out of the filters, cleaned them up, and placed them alongside the pump in the garage. And finally, you've placed the bubbler on the top shelf of the pond in order to agitate the water's surface, and to keep a hole in the ice, allowing your fish to hibernate safely over the winter.
Appreciating the pond from inside your home
In these parts of the country, the winter is that time of the year when your pondering is done from a distance, from a window view in the warmth of your home, appreciating the beauty, and the natural activity that continues in and around your pond. If the temperatures get really low, you may have to monitor the water level, and even top it off (add a little water) as the water is transformed into thicker and thicker layers of ice.
As the metabolism of your fish slows down, and the white stuff begins to turn your pond into a magnificent winter wonderland, there's still the ever-present opportunity to think, to wonder, and to ponder the things in life that can't be addressed in the rat race of the workday world. Pondering requires time. Pondering requires relaxation. And pondering requires that you let go of the workday world, fully occupy the present, and live your life, if only for a fleeting moment, at a level that people who don't ponder can never really appreciate.
So take your time, take a deep breath, and enjoy the winter side of the pondering lifestyle. And finally, know that spring is right around the corner. It'll be here before you know it. Happy Pondering.
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