There was an article in our local paper about a pond not too far from me. I've seen the pond. It looks to be about an acre. They have four aerators running in it continuously. The neighbors are complaining about the noise. Then he had a power outage, and ended up with 5,600 pounds of dead fish. He got some buried, but not all. Between the noise of the aerators, and the stench if the dead fish, this guys has some very upset neighbors.
I guess there are tractor trailers in and out of there all the time. The article said the fish are grown for export to Canada. I've seen it from the road since they started digging the pond. I've not heard or smelled anything. Guess we are far enough away..

http://westnewsmagazine.com/2015/06/23/5...he-neighborhood

Guess I'll keep my little pond and it's fishery on a somewhat smaller scale.

Sounds like the land owner is a bit of a d-bag.

How hard is it to enclose your air pumps? And not really that much cost? Lets see.

He has 4 of them.

So 4 , 4x4 post 1 for each pump. 4 bags of concrete some 2x4's and flat board. 1 roll of roll roofing.

So for about 200 to 250 bucks I could have all of them in some kind of enclose case? Wow how hard is that to keep the neighbors happy!

RC

Maybe less then that if all 4 pumps are right next to each other??

I agree sounds like this guys don't give a dam....

RC

The air blower motors are probably something like this:



They move a high volume of air and are used with air stones. They are noisy, and it would take a larger enclosure that has a lot of filtration on the openings, plus vents that are filtered to keep them cool.

If it was my business, I'd build the enclosure to keep the noise down and the neighbors as happy as possible.

Hmmm. Neighbors who cannot enjoy their own property due to smells and sounds coming from adjacent properties. Sounds like a recent discussion here on the forum.

Well that's a bad A$$ blower! I was wondering how they could here a GAST pump? or even 2 or 3 of them. Mine isn't very loud at all. Once I get 100 feet away I cant hear it at all.

Now I see why they compared it to a leaf blower running! That would get old fast even for me. If it were mine I would not want to hear that all the time??

5600 pounds of fish I a 1 acre pond!! Dang it man! That's like having two dead cows laying on your property and not doing anything about it!

Yuck!

RC

I was thinking the same thing!

Hear that. My first thought after visiting the link was "OMG....I'm NOT the only one who feels this way!" Other people desire that their neighbors adhere to some sort of majority recognized, appropriate conduct, also. Wow!

My first question is how is it possible to raise 5000#s of fish in a acre? I thought 800#s was a crap load of fish but been told only 400# is realistic.

Yes keep the neighbors happy with some free fish and lower the sound for sure.

Cheers Don.

I think he can afford to quiet the blowers. I remember when I was looking for AquaMax feed. I went to the nearest Purina dealer. He had the 600 in there, several pallets as a matter of fact. I asked him why he had so much? He said he had a local guy that needed 7 bags a day.. It has to be this guy.. That's not cheap to through in a day!
It is a pretty deep pond, I remember when they built the dam. It went across a pretty deep ravine.

What kind of fish are being raised?

The article never said.

I wonder if its Burbot 'cause it's going to Oh Canada...

The reason he was able to raise 5600 pounds of fish in one acre is likely the same reason those fish perished after the power failed. Because the pond is on the absolute ragged edge of sustainability, and relies on artificial means to continue operating.

That pond must be positively boiling with fish! The aerator bubbles are probably also the poor fish caught up in the current and being tossed around. That is a crazy amount of fish, and a heck of a lot of fish to loose from a power outage. Imagine the value?

Perhaps a generator is in his future also?

A pond like that won't last very long without being drained and cleaned either.

In high density systems (not ponds) you could raise 5600lbs in ~2200 gallons of water - not cheap to do, but people do it.

If only we had more Regulation ........!!!

OR, more respect for our neighbors. Then we wouldn't need so much regulation.

Hey, if it's the local government who makes the regulation, at least it's local and not the feds who have absolutely no power to do it under Article I section VIII. I would still maintain that the other people who live in this township, city, or whatever it is probably don't need a new law imposed upon them because of the actions of one bad actor. Chances are, there's already some law on the books to cure the issue.

There's also another very simple solution that doesn't involve the rest of use needing a new law passed against us, the property owners around the guy simply sue him. Personal responsibility to handle your own issues would have to come into play though instead of counting on the rest of us to give up rights for a new law.

Bingo, already a law on the books "Vujnich, in the letter, cited Lisk for violations of the city’s nuisance code, due to the foul odor." I would maintain the city didn't even need such a vague law, probably already state laws on the books. All the noise the neighbors are complaining about, the city tested the noise and it fell within the limits of the city noise ordinance. This city has a lot of ordinances if it has a noise ordinance. Usually only the most left wing cities have such laws.

Respect and consideration for your neighbors. It really isn't that difficult a concept. If this guy had simply acknowledged that his operation was disturbing those neighbors in the near vicinity, AND made an attempt to address the situation, maybe all parties involved could've reached a solution without involving government on ANY level. A win-win situation for everyone.

But, he probably feels like his neighbors are trying to infringe upon his rights, by claiming their own. Rather than try putting himself in their shoes, he selfishly sees only what matters to him...nothing more. It's too bad.

This: http://realestate.findlaw.com/neighbors/property-rights-my-neighbor-is-a-nuisance.html

Nice going finding this link so quickly on the web.

I had a dispute with my neighbor who's 12 year old son was firing a high powered pistol and a .22 rifle into my 5 acre pond area. The neighbor's house is bound on two sides by paved roads and the other two sides by my pond area, that I consider my front yard. I spend most of the hours in a day there enjoying my special heaven that I have built from bare ground into my park pond heaven. I was at the pond one day and a bullet came zinging by my head. I walked up to the kid and told him if he didn't quit firing into my pond area I was going to call the Sharif. As I turned my back and walked away I was met with rapid bang, bang, bang, bang, bang fire. I thought I was going to be shot in the back. The Sharif came out, and NRA type, and grilled me, do I even know what a bullet sound like coming close to me. Being in the military I told him I have fired every kind of weapon and had been on a special night operations to demonstrate bullet ricochet using tracer bullets and how they reacted. Then the Sharif said the kid was probably shooting up in the air. I said no, I could take him right now and show him a bullet at chest level in one of my trees. He refused to go take a look at it. The sharrif left saying the kid was in the country, second amendment rights and he could continue to shoot as he had been doing. I said OK. Then I have the right to starting to shooting over their 1 1/2 acre of land. His mouth dropped, he got into his car and left. So who's rights are the top priority in my case. The sharif thinks the kids rights to shoot in the country supersede my rights to enjoy my retirement and not to be killed.

That sheriff could get in deep doo doo. Back stops are required for that type of shooting. You cannot let lead fly into private property (or across roadways. I personally would not let that slide. Perhaps filing a police report and mentioning that if the local police are unable to help. perhaps the state police could.

Bingo, the deputy could get into some bit of trouble IF the story we were told is true. A backstop is required to fire your weapon and if one is not used you simply have careless use of a firearm, brandishing a firearm, criminal trespass... Pick something. I've had experience with this exact scenario in our township, we already had State law on the books, didn't need to create yet another law to pile onto yet another law, it does make the liberals feel good though.

Against the law in Texas to let a bullet cross the property line.

Dave, thanks for posting that, I also understood it's against the law in Texas for a bullet to travel across property lines.

Tracy

X 2

Texas is not alone in that regard. Trespass by projectile is what I have heard it called.

It's also very much illegal in Indiana to shoot across water, unless in the lawful pursuit of game. Might just apply to public water, unsure of that.

Here is the rest of the story.

I do a lot of walking for health, even at night when I can't sleep. 15 years ago I was walking about 3 AM without my flashlight turned on as my eyes adjust well to see in the dark. I was walking up my 350 foot driveway in the woods and there was a car backed in about 100 feet just setting in the dark. I didn't tap on the window for fear of not knowing what would happen. I recognized the car as one I had see once in a while at my problem neighbors . The next day I got a phone call saying we have people that can take care of you. I went to the Sharif's department telling them what happened and that I wanted a permit to carry a gun for personal protection. While I was being fingerprinted the Sharif came by and said you will be lucky if she gives you the permit.

Months later I drove up to McDonnell's and parked before a big window. A big guy, 6 foot, 250 lb was looking at me and came out and laid across my car hood. I said who are you and he said he was an uncle to my neighbors. He grabbed my finger bent it backward and broke it. I went back to the Sharif’s department, told them what happened and was asked if I wanted to file a complaint. Knowing that was probably useless with this Sharif I said I wanted this on the record in case something happened to me or my family. Then I wrote a note and put it on the porch of the problem neighbors.

“It said that a file was with the Sharif's department of the threats and assault of your family and because of those threats and the McDonnell's assault I was carrying a gun when this happened and I hoped I would be as restrained as I was that night if this ever happened again.”

I have never had a problem since.

What is ironic about this is I owned this property and surveyed it off in a generous 1 ½ acres so a family who bought it could enjoy the country life room for gardening, raising a family, etc. Local farmers had warned me to just rent the house so I could control who lived there.

As for laws to shooting across land boundaries in Indiana or federal laws, I really searched the internet when this was happening and couldn't find anything state or federal about shooting firearms in the country that would give me protection. I never found any law for Indiana at the time that said you must shoot into a berm. If there is one now, it is a joke. At hunting time shooting is going on all over the place. I had one deer shot and gutted and another came down to the pond and died in the pond. If there was a berming law at that time wouldn't you think the Sharif would have required the neighbor to have one for my protection.

If the shooting is considered reckless, that it is against Indiana law, but based on your story, I would talk to the State Police. I do not understand you not filing charges concerning the assault.

Tbar let's bring in the corrupt Federal Nannies!
We need a Washington bureaucrat that's not busy
spending more than they bring in, deleting e-mails,
pleading the 5th, polluting the environment,
sending money to people overseas that hate us or
passing bills they don't read...to look into this local matter!

I don't care who makes the regulations. Local, state, or federal....I draw no distinction between the three. Stand a representative of all three governing bodies side-by-side, and I highly doubt I could tell the difference.

Local, state or federal.....don't care. As long as there's some teeth imposed by somebody, somewhere, to help corral the multitudes who simply don't give a damn about what anyone else thinks.

I would agree, but refine to say those who abuse my right to enjoy my place without dodging bullets. I simply would not tolerate that. Now, the neighbor that burns his trash upwind of me, including plastic, every Sunday morning, has not caused me to complain in the last 10+ years, but it is not only illegal, but rude.

Agreed. I also have neighbors who burn nasty refuse in an open fire....illegal here also, but like you I have never said a word. And don't intend to. I think you have to apply a little common sense, diplomacy, and consideration for someone else before automatically jumping onto someone, legal or not.

Those darn shades of grey again.

I asked some neighbors last night if anybody knew what fish that guy is raising. Nobody knew. Most folks thought that the guy had no clue what he was doing.
Seems like he must know something, if he's got 5,600 lbs of fish in a one acre pond.
Our little municipality of Wildwood, was formed when the Mo Highway Dept was looking at coming through here with a eight lane bypass around St Louis. Now it's run by some serious tree huggers. You aren't supposed to cut a tree down on your property without getting permission. It's very rural though, so much goes on without the politicians finding out. They did get the highway stopped though, which was good for all of us. I wasn't looking forward to the noise.

So you do not care or respect the US Constitution? You do not give any merit to Article 1 Section 8 listing of enumerated powers? Oh boy...

I'm completely at a loss here. There are wolves, there are sheep and there are sheep dogs. If a wolf breaks my finger, I savage the wolf and I do it swiftly, surely and severely. I echo your understanding of every State I know of regarding reckless discharge of a firearm. You cannot allow a bullet to just be "at large" and not know your backstop.

If a deer comes down and dies at your pond this would have nothing to do with a backstop and there is no crime, it is simply how the cookie crumbles. A hunter cannot control where an animal will die anymore then we can control the next time we need to urinate. If an animal is shot and dies on my property the protocol, by law, is to have the hunter ask me to be able to come and fetch it which I kindly do. I also do not require anyone to even ask me to come and fetch it, my neighbors all know that they have carte blanche permission to gather up any kill from my land, ride their horses over here, let the kids play, whatever so long as they don't destroy anything. They allow me the same courtesy.

I think that many have given up on upholding the US Constitution. It has been weakened so much by a "death of 1000 cuts", that I do not see how it will ever be restored. I just hope we can survive this over the long haul. It is not that the result of each specific act is bad, but rather that the law of the land is no longer respected. We have processes in place that give each branch of government limits which are no longer respected. I think this is what was missed in the last Supreme Court legislative act, and it was what the dissenting opinion tried to communicate. I think that this was mostly lost on the public. The action's results on this particular case were great, but the judicial branch making legislation is very very bad IMO.

I don't hold that parchment in the same reverence that many probably do, this is true. Respect it, yes. Recognize the shortcomings of a 200+ year old document? Absolutely. Consider it the end all, final say on a subject....not even remotely.

A 2/3 majority can change it. That is not to your liking?

Not sure if you're addressing me, RAH? If I step in here where I'm not supposed too, I apologize.

I am completely on board with the 2/3 majority change. That's my point...If the constitution was the absolute perfection that some believe it is, there would never exist a need to amend it in any form whatsoever. It would be perfect, right from the start.

But if we recognize that certain parts, ANY parts, need clarification or amending, then that casts a certain... doubt(?) on the entire manuscript in my eyes. Like other extremely controversial subject matter, it often comes down to opinion, interpretation, and a whole lot of faith. To invoke the founding fathers on a regular basis as a means to justify one's position relies on a certain interpretation of what they were hoping to convey, centuries ago.

Is our interpretation correct? No way to tell. We can extrapolate, analyze, compare.....but in the end, we're just guessing. And one guess is as good as another.

It may not be perfect, but I would suggest that its the best thing going. I do worry about our future with everyone thinking everything is a shade of grey. There is a right and a wrong. It is wrong to lie, cheat, and steal, but many just except these things as normal so they are OK with accepting them. I am not one of those people. It is wrong, and folks should be held accountable.

Some things are easily recognized as black and white, right or wrong. But I do believe there are grey areas where personal interpretation is needed. The ability to distinguish these areas is where I see problems occurring for some folks.

Grey areas do exist, but everything is not grey. Some things are wrong. The ability to distinguish these areas is where I see problems occurring for some folks.

I agree completely.

You need to come north some time and share a beer with me on my dock. Just don't let my wife hear us "discussing" things at the top of our lungs. She gives me grief over that!

sprkplug, the US Constitution is the single most perfect document ever written by man to form a Country. As RAH mentioned, if "times change" the founders even had a mechanism to amend the rules, you just have to follow the rules to make the amendment. If one does not follow the recipe for change, you have complete anarchy, as the supreme court has created now.

If you do not follow the Constitution, you have nothing. Your rights are worth nothing. Violate even one part of this "imperfect document" and you violate it all, you tear the whole thing down. I find it very sad that you hold no reverence for a document that has made more people more free than any other form of government in human history.

We have now gotten to the point where the US Constitution should just be printed on toilet paper and used to "mop up" after using the restroom. It saddens me greatly to hear someone actually say it out loud that they don't rely on this document in all things governmental, we are lost. By the way, the Constitution is not to be interpreted, it is to be followed.

I know Tim. It's not always easy hearing someone share an opinion so different than our own. I appreciate the respect shown to my point of view during all the recent discussions we have had on the matter. I have tried to do the same, hopefully I have succeeded in that regard.

As far as being lost, I submit we have been lost for a long time. Since our ancestors swung down out of the trees, stood erect, and took those first few steps towards becoming "civilized"

"sprkplug, the US Constitution is the single most perfect document ever written by man to form a Country"

I agree, with the understanding that the words "thus far" be tacked on to the end of your statement.

I guess I have a faith of my own after all. I have faith that humanity will do better. That we will learn from all our past mistakes, and continue on to forge that more perfect union.

Thanks RAH. No worries.

I know. That is why I enjoy exchanging ideas with you.

Sparkster and RAH exchangin ideas.....damned, now I gotta read the rest of the posts.

I appreciate the moderators tolerance. Maybe I could spare another beer for you:)

RAH, you ever come my way and you'll have whatever you want on tap.

I think we are all still more aligned than than the general population. Thank you! Here comes more rain!

I'll bet we all share a common plot of ground here and there. I meant to comment on Tim's earlier post where he wrote about his neighbors not needing to contact him first before coming onto his land to collect a deer. I am the same way with my neighbors, and I appreciate the collective spirit that fosters such understanding.

I think if more showed that same type of willingness to work together, we would be much further ahead of where we are now.

Mike Lisk has called me on occasion to transport fish for him. Mainly, he has Hybrid Striped Bass, but has expanded into feed trained Largemouth for the Toronto area...the market is massive there. I'll have to go see Mike and at least try to help silence his Regenerative Blowers...The whine from them is as irritating as it gets!

As for the area he is in, Wildwood is loaded with lots of overpaid city people wanting a rural lifestyle.....the type that want to see deer meandering in their front yards, and then wanting the city to shoot the same deer when flowers are eaten....I have stocked one pond there, for a friend of Blaine's, and helped another be dredged. there are plenty of farmland smells to be "enjoyed", and rotting fish is only one of them.

Just a couple of responses. Why didn't I press charges for the assault. Telling my story to the sheriff department and the sheriff walking by and saying you will be lucky if she gives you a gun permit tells you what kind of protection I was going to get from him. The sheriff showed his true colors when he wasn't going to protect me and let the kid continue to shoot into my pond area. That's the reason I called him in an earlier post a NRA type. I mean this in no way as a slam on NRA members that love to hunt and have gun safety. I mean the type that says look at my gun, this can cut a guy in half. I have one in the family and knew one when I was working before retirement. I'm not anti guns. I was shooting skeet when I was 12 and have a bench rifle specially made for me.

I am old enough to see the proliferation of guns that has taken place and the ease of getting them. Back in the late 50's I got a hand gun for family protection. Not a gun to carry consealed but just to keep in the house. I was finger printed and every year had to go back and register. When I got my permit to carry a gun on my person 15 years ago it was so easy and as I remember I didn't have to renew it for 4 years. I didn't renew it since the threat to me was abated. I am stunned to see some wanting guns allowed into churches and bars.

I only mentioned that in deer hunting season that bullets were flying all over the place so as to belie the belief that you must shoot into a berm or embankment in Indiana. The deer that was shot on my property and gutted was different then the one that died in my pond. That deer was most likely shot off my property and came to drink while dieing. That deer I pulled up to the road with my tractor, called the Sharif’s department, UGH, told them that riggamortis hadn't yet set in it could be dressed out for the poor.

My one of a kind bench rifle.

Deer are known to go to water when injured .Its a instinct reaction.
Its not to drink.I presume It coagulates the blood , reduces pain and swelling.
It may be a safety factor also to get in the water away from the predator as a last desperate resort.
Have seen them get in creeks when dogs are chasing them and only have a nose and top of head out of water . Antlers are laid back in the water.
Survival in the wild.

Hey Rex! I live near that guy! Don't confuse us with the rich folks in Town and Country. We shoot our own deer out here. I had seven in my front yard this spring. (Didn't shoot them.)
I'll have to get ahold of this guy for some Hybrid Striped Bass..

JohnMonroe, you used "NRA type" guy, I'm assuming that you didn't mean a freedom loving person who believes that the 2nd amendment means what it says? By the way, we have had a proliferation of gun rights as of late but remember we had a proliferation of gun right losses before that. The "baby boomers" probably saw to the greatest loss of gun rights and economic rights in this nations history.

By the way, you can take a gun to my church concealed. I bet that somebody in Charleston wishes that one of the nine had a concealed firearm in that church. I'm sure some might remember what happened here

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/10/colorado.shootings/index.html?eref=onion

A good person in a church blew away the bad guy, it's what good people do.

Really.......I am shocked. Up until the last decade or so guns were always cash and carry in Texas. No paper or finger prints. In the 50's, 60's, 70's they were sold in places like the auto parts stores(Western Auto), hardware stores and even drug stores.

What do you mean about NRA types? The NRA would never condone shooting across property lines???

I never remember being fingerprinted so I could purchase a firearm in Indiana. When I applied for my "Personal Protection" permit, yes. The last time it was up for renewal, I opted to apply for the lifetime permit. I had to re-do the fingerprints, and now don't have to renew it every 4 years.

My first shotgun was purchased at the local hardware store, back in the seventies. We walked out with it right then, no paperwork that I recall....but I was an excited kid.

Carried it down the sidewalk to where we were parked. No one even gave it a second glance, much to my chagrin. (I remember hoping someone would stop and comment on it)

I bought my first hand gun around 1958 just to have in the house. I lived in town then so I dealt with the police department and not the sheriff's department at that time. I abided by the law which was much stricter then now. The fingerprinting was was the second in my life. The first was in the military and the third was when I got my gun to carry for personal protection.

What do I mean by NRA type? I mentioned two I personally knew. One was a guy I worked with. He belonged to the Civil Defense. He bragged he had guns that could blow a person in half. He brought one into work, loaded to show and tell. He was suspended for a week and was told if he did it again he was fired. He also bragged that he stopped a guy on the highway for speeding. Can you believe the nerve. He told me and I believed him, that he could get a working rocket launcher in 20 minutes.

The other guy was my ex son in law. He loved to show me guns that could blow a hole the size of a soft ball in a person. We were visiting him in Ft Wayne and I mentioned I needed to get a hand gun for protection. He took me across the street from his house where I bought a 38 special for only $50. In this house in the basement was one hell of a craftsman building a working replica of a 30 caliber machine gun just like the one's I had fired in the army. I ask this guy who buys these type of guns. He said he has orders from around the country. These are two NRA types, not the NRA I know.

As for personal guns in churches to stop what just happened. Archie Bunker of All in the family TV had the same answer to stop the hijacking of airliners. Give everyone boarding the plane a machine gun and if anyone try's to hijack the plane, every one can just cut loose.

Well, I'm an NRA type. I support the entire Constitution including the stuff I don't like. I run a gun business which is constantly under fire by Non NRA types. If Non NRA types had their way my family and I would be out on the street collecting welfare along with others that won't do for themselves. My president hates me, my federal government hates me, and now my pope even hates me. All that stands between me and these savages is the NRA. I am the NRA.

I appreciate this not going political. I will tread lightly here to avoid politics and acrimony. Neither have a place on this site and the Mods get nervous.

However, since the middle ages, the story of weapon control has been political. Remember the fictional story of Robin Hood? He was outlawed because he killed one of the kings deer. How and why did that happen? At that time, the king decreed that all game animals belong to the Crown. Thus, the populace had no need for weapons. We can pretty well extrapolate that throughout periods of history around the world.

To those who want to understand the issue and the history thereof, I can recommend "The Second Amendment Primer" by Les Adams. It's the best historical writing I've come across that traces Americas history of personal arms legislation, both sides of the issue, since 1776 and actually goes back to ancient Greece. It's cheap at less than $10 on Amazon.

I'm butt deep in guns, some of which I've never fired, and sometimes wonder why they clutter up my closet. I'm a member of the NRA but don't believe in everything they promulgate. I'm not sure what NRA type means. Texas has recently passed "Open Carry" laws but I think only damn fools advertise that they are armed. I also don't carry one in my vehicle. But, to each his own. Not everyone thinks like I do.

Editing here. The NRA and I are in pretty constant contact. They call me quite often when they are looking for $ donations.

I don't have any weapons. I deer hunt by jumping on the deer's back and biting its neck. That is the only civilized way to hunt:)

Come on guys - lighten up. Look into the deep pool of your pond and find your inner peace....

Do you have special dentures you use for that? Like "Jaws" from the James Bond films or something?

Shhh! Don't go posting my secrets....

Well one must remember that just because your a member of the NRA doesn't mean you can't be a little off your rocker... There is always that handful that makes things bad for everyone else...... You know the old saying guns don't kill people do. You can lay a gun down on the table fully loaded with the safety off and yell at it all you want to kill something and I got money says it just won't do it.

And if we took all the guns away we would have one hell of a big mess.

What folks don't understand it the consequence's of what would happen if we did that and that includes being overran by animals as well.

Well the bad guys would still get the guns.
Or the bad guys will now use mini cross bows to do their killing.... So we would have to ban all bows....
Then they would use Bowie knifes and swords...
So we would have to ban them.. You see where this is going right....

What we need is stricter swifter laws in place for these yahoos who do dumb stuff. Specially ones who are caught right in the act!

But no we want to arrest them and put them in jail on my dollar and then have a year long court battle on our dollar and then maybe just maybe sentence him to the death penalty but let him stay on death row for 20 fricken years on our dollar also ..... dang sorry guys it just really upsets me how backwards we have become...

Concerned
RC

Sorry mods if this was to much no worries if you delete it....

Interesting......I would never have characterized them as NRA types. I would have used some different terminology.

Back ta neighbors. A fellow bought 22 acres that completely surround me except for the road out front. The first summer he tore down a nice tree stand that I had on his property. We had discussed this stand and I told him I'd move it. I was close friends with the previous owner and had full run of the property as he didn't live here and I was sort of his custodian. I didn't say anything about the stand.
I used to park my truck on a hill to scout two crop fields that bottle necked into another neighbors woods that I had a stand in. In Sept he pulled up one evening and said "Look BOB, you're gonna ruin my hunting sitting up here so quit comin on my land". I said ok and did. He and six friends hunted that 22 acres and shot two does. The yr before I got a doe with my Muzz and a nice buck with my bow. These guys were great white city boys.
The next June he calls me up and says "HEY, I heard your dog killed a deer out of my woods". I informed him the dog killed a fawn on my property and ate the whole thing. He went ballistic on me and told me I "have to chain my dog up". I told him to f off cause my dog has always run free and is known to and is friends with all the neighbors and their kids and animals. Also all the neighbors liked my dog better than him since he tore down my stand. He informed me that technically it was illegal to let Doinko run free. I told him technically it was illegal ta piss in my back yard, are ya gonna hassle me about that too? He stuttered out that "ya ya you have to put up a fence then". I said sure, if you split the cost cause the fence is ta keep you and your friends off my land. He has since become a SWAT officer and often comes out (he bought the land but couldn't afford the cost to build out here) every now and then and explodes some bombs like the one Essuup referred to earlier. The second time he did I caught him on the way out and said I didn't mind his firecrackers but the other neighbors did and they thought the Homeland security folks might be interested. Now when we pass on the road he always smiles and waves. I do the same in return.
My point here is that are civil ways to deal with a ying yang.
I am a member of the NRA and voted for Obama. My son in law said Obama was gonna take our guns away. I asked him if he thought the national guard was gonna come marchin down the street and go house to house and take everyone's guns? He said well no and so I said then shut up until ya have something intelligent to say.
RAH is correct. We need ta lighten up!! I remember a legitimate ? about pen raised fish vs wild caught that got sooo far off track and political that it got deleted and the poster caught a real stern warnin ta never post such material again when he was just lookin for some verified info on the subject. Let's not get that far with this post. Sorry if I've made any sense here. Bob-O

Bob, open a window and stick your head out, facing south. That faint sound you hear in the distance is me clapping in approval.

I think about this place "Pond Boss" ever since I started letting water fill up the hole I dug. And I enjoy it for lots of reasons. I think it is a great place to learn of ponds and fish. But when we start posting of such things as who we voted for president, it saddens me. I come here to get away from some people and Government telling me what I can do or not do. I live my life treating everyone I meet they same way I would want them to treat me. Like others here, I have fished and hunted all my life. I have never been finger printed to buy a gun in the last 3 states I have lived in. All of them in the south. In the 70's I had a bumper sticker on my hunting dog trailer and it said if guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns. And I believe that still hold true some 40 yrs later. As I look @ the cities up north, I see where the most strict gun laws are, and that is where the most shooting are, and I am fairly sure the shooter's, are not registered gun owners. With this 4th of July, I will be celebrating America. The way it was and not so much as the way it is heading.

Tracy

Bob and Rah I appreciate your efforts to nudge these discussions in the right direction. Thank you, I appreciate it very much.

In my mind, it's a simple formula: We can exhaust ourselves by identifying the characteristics which differentiate us [theology, politics, etc.] and exacerbate that negative situation, or we can focus upon the things which unite us [love of family, fishery and pond management, pursuit of becoming better land and water stewards]. I strongly recommend pursuing the latter avenue - as it not only fosters a positive, science rich forum environment in which we all prosper and can enjoy - but it's the reason Bob and Mike built the forum in the first place.

FWIW, there's probably no lengths, legal or illegal, I wouldn't go to assist one of my PB brothers if one found themselves in need - despite the fact we may have opposing sentiments/opinions on issues. My friendship will never be contingent on whether you eat on the left or the right, rather based upon the merit of your character and how many cocktails or pounds of tannerite in which you indulge me. So, please, focus on the details which unite us - and PM me for my address so you can ship some tannerite my way in time for the 4th.

Don't ban my dentures!

I've tried showering Yolk Sac with a little HBG love, but my advances are constantly rebuffed. I can only take so much rejection before I lash out and begin bad-mouthing smallies. I'm only human after all. Mostly.

You said it yourself, Sparkie--

teejaeh, it is nice to know you can be bought off with beer and explosives, what a perfect way to unite anyone!!!

I'm sorry if I caused this discussion to stray too far away from the Pond Boss we come here for. Funny how a simple thing like a pond left me assaulted, unprotected by local authorities and threatened by a phone call "we have people that can take care of you." The sleepless nights from this were terrible at my age. Isn't it ironic that to end this problem I had to arm myself become and become a person I didn't want to be. Now back to taking photo's at the pond.

And I do have serenity now.

Wow what a great shot John! Is that a Marsh Sparrow?

Hi TJ. That is a female Red Wing Blackbird. They are a great subject to photograph.

John, thanks for that pic. We have the Red Wing Blackbirds everywhere, but I'd never seen a female. Great picture.

They love the rush we have here, and will sit on them eating seed heads for hours.

My wife used to fish regularly with her dad. He's been gone now for many years. She goes back to distant memories every time she hears a redwing blackbird. Pretty sound. We have them all around our farm, because our neighbor's pond is right across the road in a field. Our pond is in the woods and the redwing blackbirds don't seem to like it.
I've never seen a female either, I just assumed they were like bluejays and robins, in that both male and female looked similar.
Nice picture.

I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that being a female blackbird of any type.

LOL yeah there isn't one thing of black on it! That's kind of like the female Cardinal v.s. the male. They look a lot different from one another color wise!!

RC

Thank you John. I bet a lot of folks see the female RW and mistake it for what some people call a Starling or Grackle. If I'm completely off base here I wouldn't be at all surprised.
I herd ya Spsrkster and thank you too.
TJ, the folks in one of the 5 trailer parks in Butler must have intercepted some of the shipments to you. I'm amazed that the trailer dwellers(I'm not poking fun at TT as I am one) can afford ta feed 5 dogs and yet ignite bombs that rattle my windows from 1/2 mile away. Oh how I envy them.
Everyone have a fun and safe time celebrating the greatest country in the world having a B-day.

When they emerge from the plants along the pond and dive bomb me, its easier to identify them.

Wow, color me amazed, I guess I've simply never realized I've seen a female RWBB before - sure looked a lot like a marsh sparrow! I have a ton yet to learn - that is one beautiful bird. Great shot John - damn you must have some time on your hands or are just super lucky to get great action photos like this.

The female Redwing Blackbirds are hard working ladies getting food to feed their young. The males mostly set high up in the trees and squawk alarms. And the males will dive bomb you if you are getting too close to their young that may be learning to fly.

There are two things that make taking these photo's pretty easy and anyone can do it. First is the camera that TJ mentioned in one of his posts. It is the Cannon SX 50 HS. This wonderful camera can be bought for about $325. I have a setting on it that I can rapid fire many shots of a bird using the great telescoping lens it has. If I see a great picture in the group I save it. The second thing is I have a free copy of Photoshop 7 given to me and I self learned to use only a small part of what is in this program. So I do cheat some by enhancing and enlarging the cropped section of the photo's.

A third thing that makes this so easy is I set up my pond with vegetation that wild life likes and looks good in the photo's.

So this is all kind of funny. I entered a photo in an arts show for painters and photographers. Very sophisticated on the judging night with cake and wine and wall to wall people and the judging was from 7 to 9pm. I left at 7:30 as I was getting sleepy, I'm usually in bed at 7 and I thought I had no chance of wining anyway. A week later I got a letter in the mail that I had taken first place for amateurs. Go figure.

So I am going to try again and see what happens. I'm entering three photograph and the judging will be at the end of this month.

MADAM DRAGONFLY


HEADS UP


WING PRAYERS

"A week later I got a letter in the mail that I had taken first place for amateurs. Go figure."

Doesn't surprise me. A lot of what you post looks magazine worthy. Very good eye, I don't think that part can be added easily.

Those are awesome John...

Beautiful photography John!!!