Mother Nature Can Be A Deadly Custodian.

Check out her braids as the wind blow them.

The last couple of days have been miserable outside.   Cold, rain, and wind have all been on the list of hardships that have dampened  (Pun intended) our outside running time.   We barely missed the rain yesterday.   And today, the wind was really gusty and strong.   At one point, it felt like we were biking/running uphill the entire way!   

Whitecaps on the lake.

The good part was on the way back, I had the wind to my back and barely had to pedal.   Riding a bike does have its advantages...    Cheryl had to run the entire way, but did appreciate the lack of wind in her face on the way back .

Winter kill in the ponds.

Speaking of harsh weather conditions:  The harsh winter has taken its toll on more than Cheryl and Ethan's outdoor time...  It has managed to kill all of the fish in the small ponds around the river.  Let it be known, to all those tree huggers and environmentalists that the Mother Earth is always trying to kill you!  https://iowaenvironmentalfocus.org/2011/03/29/dnr-winter-fish-kills-in-iowa-linked-to-mother-nature-not-people/ 

More winter kill!

I know this, after 3 years in the Army AND  3 years studying biology and fish and wildlife.   Nature is trying to kill you!  From parasites to dreaded diseases,  from cold winters to sultry summers,   floods, droughts, tornadoes, forest fires, earth quakes, great white sharks and yes...  even locusts!  Living on his planet is a struggle...  ( So stop killing each other, people!)

fairly large fish.

The number of fish floating in the ponds tipped me off right away.   They look like Gizzard shad, Mooneye, or Sheephead.  I'm sure there are a few carp in there as well.   Now, I'm sure that the water they were living in was not of the highest quality.   It looks like a number of storm sewer drains empty into the ponds.   There is also plenty of "junk" floating around the shore as well.  But even a hearty fish like a carp or shad can not tolerate water that had no oxygen in it.  And these ponds were covered in ice for far longer than the river.   In fact,  the Gravel Pit lake we run around  was covered in Ice right up until last week!   The firemen were still doing "Cold Weather Survival and Recovery Drills" out there.  Meaning:  the Ice was thick enough to support their weight!  

This means that the guys who frequently fish in those ponds are going to have a disappointing summer this year.  Those ponds produce fairly large bass and catfish, from what I have witnessed. Maybe a few of the fish survived.   It is possible that some fish have a lower O2 tolerance. ( Rainbow Trout are WIMPS when the O2 drops below 32 PPM. I think...   It has been a long time since I took O2 readings for the trout ponds...) 

CP for Turtle.

Finished Model.

Back home,  I have been working on some Origami.   I have plenty of Chalk ready and rearing to go once the weather breaks. ( Currently, the sunshine outside is taunting me, but the wind tells me it is all a ruse.)  Origami can be calming, but sometimes it can simply ruin my day!   Especially when I forget a pattern I once had memorized!  ( Lesson to learn here:  Never rely on your memory for an origami Pattern...  Always keep the hard copy available... if it exists.) I have been searching my library and the internet for the "Turtle from a Rectangle" that I made a Stop motion video from last year.   Even after watching the video... OVER AND OVER again, I still have not figured out how to complete the model.  

After two days of frustration, I decided I need a win.  I folded a small "turtle hatching"  from a Crease Pattern.  I hate most of the turtle models out there.  They are "too simple" and leave a lot to your imagination.  Ultimately, I would like to complete one with a pattern of scales grafted onto the shell.  You know...Like a normal turtle has.   Until then,  I finished folding the CP having never seen the finished turtle. Sometimes Crease Patterns can also be frustrating.. and Overly Complicated!  But there is a satisfaction when you are able to get them to turn out.  Now all I need is better paper. 

 

 

Happy Thursday!  The weekend is almost here!  And thanks for stopping in.