I fear I might have been a little too interactive with my nature spot this first week.
As I made my way to my nature spot for my first prolonged sit, I could already see dead blotches of orange on the edges of the pond. At first I saw just two, but as I got closer I noticed two more, then three more, and so on until I could see dozens of their floating bodies on the edges of the pond. Most were about six inches long, white and orange, and there were more closer to the fountain part of the pond, where the ice had melted. Around the edges, the ice had also melted about three inches deep.
I guess the fish froze, but really it looked more like some environmental catastrophe that should be blamed on an oil mining corporation. In a few places, I could see orange beneath the ice. Even though I was really 90% sure they were just more dead fishes, I resolved to find out. Since there wasn't even that much snow left on the ground, I looked around for a rock I figured I could toss and would shatter through ice. First I gathered about five small rocks that could fit in my palm, and tossed them hard onto the spot in the ice where I could see the most orange. They didn't even really make a dent, so I looked for something bigger. I got a rock about the size of my fist and threw that one hard too, but it still didn't break.
So, in my final attempt, I picked up a flat stone about the size of my chest that may or may not have been part of the walkway that runs between the pond and the driveway, and chucked it. This time, the rock actually cracked into three pieces that spread out on the ice, still not penetrating the sheet, although there was finally a small dent.
Well, I shrugged and figured the mysterious orange blotch beneath the ice would remain a mystery, and sat next to the oak tree. I noted the muted color of the emerging lawn, the obnoxious squawks of blue jays, and the other students ambling by (two of which stared quite intently, no doubt wondering why I was out in the cold). But my eyes kept being drawn to that orange beneath the ice...
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Had the pond frozen solid? I have no idea whether it's been a colder-than-usual winter there. I know that as long as a pond or lake doesn't freeze all the way through, koi - they're cold-water fish - typically hibernate and most usually survive the winter. I would think that must usually happen there, or they'd have removed them before winter. I'm trying hard not to think Chatham would be irresponsible fish stewards. But then again, they weren't so great with the wild turkeys on campus.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I don't imagine you could get *too* interactive. Though don't let that distract you from mindful, close attention as well :-)
ReplyDeleteWow, they hibernate?! Crazy. I don't know what to say, unless those dead fish bodies were hibernating fish bodies. What happened to the turkeys? I thought maybe I saw tracks the other day.
ReplyDeletePlease do let us all know come spring (if it ever comes based on the latest weather patterns) if they've survived. I know I'll be waiting to hear. I imagine that if the pond hasn't frozen - which doesn't sound too likely - there will be some casualties (natural selection I guess?). But in general, those koi are incredibly hardy creatures. So maybe some will make it.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that you did see turkey tracks. Chatham always had a large flock. Wild turkeys were one of my favorite things about Pittsburgh actually - we had huge flocks in my Swissvale neighborhood. Chatham seemed to mostly consider them a pest species. A few years ago, they *relocated* the male. But maybe the females are still around. Or they've found a new guy? Or maybe he came back (like black bears usually do)? I wrote about it in my blog here, which includes an email from the university admin about the "problem":
http://artemisiawilder.blogspot.com/2007/04/rafter-has-lost-it-tom.html