Originally Posted By: sprkplug
I'm doing something wrong. When I look at our ponds I see grass along the shoreline that needs mowed, bare spots on the drive across the dams that need additional stone, algae and pondweed that require a visit from the pump sprayer, brush growing down to the edge that needs cut back, yoy cattail sprouts that need pulled, a possible fresh muskrat run that warrants a conibear, and minor erosion around one overflow that should have another load of rip-rap placed accordingly. And that was just yesterday. If I'm not mindful of the fact, I will be more stressed after leaving the pond than I was when I arrived. Especially when it rains on Sunday, and I'm unable to accomplish any of that stuff that needs doing.

I love our ponds, and consider myself fortunate to be able to spend a few years as their caretaker. But my idea of what a pond should entail means they will be a constant, time consuming, and expensive endeavor. Not complaining, just contemplating the various ways and viewpoints in which we observe our ponds.


I remember a conversation sprkplug shortly after I became a member about me commenting that John Monroe had a good attitude about his ponds. Your reply was something along the line of having very specific goals for your ponds and working very hard to achieve those goals. It is interesting to observe how people are wired. In all reality I am probably wired a lot more like you than John or at least that is the way I have been most of my life. I also look at the pond and see work but I also (like you to I'm sure) enjoy it a lot. But I've been trying in retirement to get a little more attitude like John Monroe's. I tell myself in a hundred years no one will remember or care. If the journey is the destination I better make sure and enjoy the journey.

Nothing of real use in this post. Just musings as how I reflect on how my attitude has and is changing as I'm learning to enjoy the latter portion of my life during retirement compared to the hectic days of active farming and meeting deadlines, weather as related to farming and raising a family not to mention how my body no longer works to suit me and if I put in 4 hours of actively doing something now it feels like a 10 hour day. I guess I'm more like you but trying to be more like John Monroe in how I view things.

Last edited by snrub; 04/19/15 02:45 PM.
John

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