Cottage by the Sea

Plenty of sun on this cold , crisp , clear fall day!

Here are a couple of photos of the sky reflecting a lovely blue in the pond. Its a gorgeous color today and I wanted to share it with you. YUP!! I am using my new Canon A560 Power shot! It is so nice and I am so blessed to have it!

The pond inhabitants are staying hunkered down deep below the surface while temps dropped into the 30s last night.
Their metabolism will slow way down now so they can hibernate through the winter and I have pretty much stopped feeding them now. Unless the water temp is above 50 they don't need food.
You can see the blue, blue sky reflected in the pond and some of the water hyacinths that I have not yet removed still floating around happily. The water is crystal clear to the bottom (4 feet down) thanks to a wonderful UV filter that cleans and sterilizes the water and keep algae out!
The smallest of these fish by the way is about a foot long and you are only seeing one section of the entire pond. It isn't huge but it is on the large size.
The 2 seemingly white rocks in the 2nd photo are actually large pink Quartz rocks. Too bad they do not show up in the photo as they are quite pretty. The rocks around the pond are Pennsylvania slate and field stones about 2 - 3 ft long each.
Now that fall is here there is a lot of maintainance to do. The leaves need to be picked out and I should cover it over with a net to prevent more from getting in. I have to throw away the water hyacinths which multiply like crazy! Actually they are so invasive that they are illegal in some states of the south since people threw them into waterways and they clog them completely!
The frogs will hibernate in the plants that grow o n the bottom..in their dirt and sand and when it gets to freezing, I will place a heater in the water to keep the surface open for air. But its time to disconnect the UV and bring that inside. The pump can do til a freeze then I might even disconnect that. So, lots of work ahead on this large one.. and on the one out front as well.
It is well worth it. There is such a peacefulness to sitting along side t hem and watching the fish and frogs go about their daily lives. Its joyful to see the dragonflies in summer. Watching birds bathe and drink , chipmunks , deer. they all come for a sip all year round and it provides a haven for many little critters including our Mr Beaver, who is actually a ziti loving ground hog.(another story)
I don't know if I mentioned the chipmunk who loved to sit on the stones of the front pond and relax. Then he would wash his hands and face and take a nap in the flowers around the pond. Cutest thing I ever saw. He actually seemed to be enjoying the pond so much.
My family all had off work yesterday and I had over 12 people by for dinner in this tiny cottage.
But the table is big, I have tons of china and we ate up a storm and talked til late at night. What a wonderful thing it is to have company!
I enjoy your company on here too when you come visit. See you later..