PHOTOS FROM THE POND

I'm guessing it was in the 1930s when my grandparents dug a shallow pond here at the homestead. When we began to work on the house in 1998, it was overgrown with cattails. In 2000 we obtained a conservation grant to expand the pond and over the years we have fought to keep it clear of algae. It's a tough fight. Run-off from the fields carrying nitrogen from the fertilizer encourages algae growth. Physically raking the algae from the pond is a backbreaking task, but Mike has done it. Even the windmill he erected from a kit does not provide enough aeration to dispel algae growth. In the end the best method is to apply chemicals – a dye to keep sunlight from penetrating the water and a poison to kill the algae. (The poison is supposedly not toxic to dogs, fish, or frogs.) Only time will tell if the trees we planted will ever grow tall enough to provide shade. Vegetation fights to grow in red clay and is also thwarted when the fields are sprayed with herbicides.

Even though Richard bestowed upon me the honorary rank of "first class" so that I have earned the right to go on the canoe trip, I am not a fan of small watercraft. If a car, say, were to leave for the quilt shop at the same time the canoe left shore, I would for sure be in the car. So, Mike was surprised yesterday (Wednesday) morning when I opted to get in the boat and ride along as he sprayed the algae.

And -- well -- the pond is just one of Nellie's favorite places in all the world. She loves to pretend she might actually catch a frog. With a "meep" they always hop and escape into the water, leaving her to whine in frustration. It's no biggy, really. She just moves on to the next frog.

Can you see the frog?