Thankful for Holidays

I love fall, don’t you? Gorgeous colors, nature coming to a rest, our ponds rewarded for a season well done. It’s my favorite time of the year, except for spring, and winter, and summer!

Just finished a conversation with my bride, the Queen of LL,2. She asked, “Honey, what do you want for Christmas?” I never have a good answer for that question. It’s pretty frustrating when I shrug my shoulders with a lifeless response, “Uh, I dunno.”

Rather than roll her eyes, she asked me, “What if other Pond Boss wives asked their husbands, what would those guys say?” Then, “What about those guys, buying for their wives?”

Holy cow, now I’m getting way too deep into a conversation I didn’t expect. But, she was rolling. She started making suggestions of things I might think about that I might like that she might buy. I was getting confused.

But, she had a great point. She really, truly wants to gift something I’d appreciate. She said, “What about one of those Twin-Troller boats, or a new dock, or a new aeration system, or maybe some more Mossbacks to put by the retaining wall in the pond by the house? Or, a powder-coated windmill?”

I felt my eyebrows rise. “Honey, have you been looking at ads in the magazine?” She said, “Actually, I have, because I knew the answer you’d give me when I asked what you wanted.”

Things were beginning to make sense.

She also stimulated a thought for our readers. So, we called a bunch of our vendors and advertisers and told them to expect some business from our readers who are looking for that special Christmas gift for that special person. Actually, our advertising director, LeighAnn, put in a call to the North Pole and talked with Santa himself. Santa also has a wish list. Look for it on pages 22-23. Credit LeighAnn and my wife with this little stretch of marketing ingenuity. You now have the perfect gift(s) for that special pondmeister in your life. And, if said pondmeister has a touch of savvy, assisted by a well-placed hint, that gift purchase could be a two-way street. Just say the word, show the page, blurt out what you want, too, and expect it to happen. That’s how Santa works.

Speaking of gifts, there are several special, real-world stories in this issue of Pond Boss. Two stories, in particular, talk about landowners who want something, but don’t have it. They have to answer the most primary of questions, “Should I do what it takes to get what I want?” You’ll see their dilemmas. Another story tells a brief history of the pond management industry and how it’s evolving at a professional level. Dr. Boyd shares his experiences and knowledge about stuff dissolved in water. If you are a water science buff, you’ll want to read that one. Beasley, the biologist, gifts us with some logic about thinking beyond the obvious. Excellent pond managers do that, you know? Otto weaves us into a tale of figuring out how to build a pond near a rural house where it can be seen—not always an easy task. We have a story about invasive plants in upstate New York, another about choosing the right predator fish for northern waters, and Beth shares some personal thoughts as she lives in the flow. Dr. Wes Neal wrote about using water level as a management tool, while Michael Gray tries to collar the wet stuff. Dan V. shares his insight about quail, and we talk about growing fish for food and fun. Eric West searched the literature about fall and how our fish act. Plus, we have all the other regular columns, and a fantastic recipe, courtesy of Carolynn Burns, from Pittsburg, Kansas. If you’ve not had smoked catfish dip, get ready. Outstanding!

So, kick off your shoes and step inside this issue of your favorite fall read, no matter the season. Oh, and don’t forget about that perfect Christmas gift. Find the best of the best inside these pages! Start that mission with a gift subscription to Pond Boss, the gift that keeps on filling the minds of those who truly want to know!

Fish on!