Loch Badger

[WhistlingBadger]

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My excavator neighbor brought over some rocks, which the Badgerling and I moved into place (while Mrs. Badger works on math, still trying to get up to speed on her new teaching job. I think we had more fun with the muck and rocks than she had with the math). Another load or two like that and we'll have all the liner covered. Shortly after we noticed that the adult bluegills weren't guarding their nests anymore, we spooked a tight school of what must have been several hundred fry out of the shallows. Those bass had better get to work!

On a sad note, this morning we saw a dead fledgling tree swallow face down in the water. We're always amused at the kamikaze antics of these things as they learn to handle their supersonic fighter plane bodies. But they can't swim worth anything.

[showmebutterfly]

Your pond is looking really good and I'm glad the fish are coming along well too. I tried to talk my husband into putting a pond on our property, but the dang septic system is located in the valley that would be the ideal location. I will enjoy watching yours continue to progress.

[BluewaterBoof]

Dang Tom, that is really looking amazing.

[WhistlingBadger]

Your pond is looking really good and I'm glad the fish are coming along well too. I tried to talk my husband into putting a pond on our property, but the dang septic system is located in the valley that would be the ideal location. I will enjoy watching yours continue to progress.

Thanks! I always wished I had a pond as a kid. So, once I got my house built, this was top of the list. This one isn't quite as cool as a natural pond would be, but we have a lot of fun with it.

Dang Tom, that is really looking amazing.

Thanks, Andre. We're going to have to start eating some of these bluegills to make room for all these babies! Maybe I should invite all of you over for a fish fry...

[RiversGirl]

Maybe I should invite all of you over for a fish fry...

I'm so there!!
Dang for the long commute, though... so perhaps just my best wishes instead.

I'm betting they taste delicious! Fresh fish for dinner, every Friday night this summer? Your family is fortunate to have this lovely pond that you've built. So many fun experiences included.

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm so there!!
Dang for the long commute, though... so perhaps just my best wishes instead.

Yeah, that always seems to be the problem with attempted AC reunions. It would be fun to meet some of you in real life. I wouldn't mind seeing some of your tanks in real life, either! :)

My friend Rob the Excavator said he's bringing over more rocks this afternoon. This COULD be enough to completely finish covering the whole thing! If so, I'm going to be buying a bunch of water lilies to replace the ones that didn't make it through the winter. At that point, I think we can declare this multi-year project...Do I dare even say it?...FINISHED.

[WhistlingBadger]

I'm betting they taste delicious!

Oh, about this: Fried bluegill is pretty tasty. We haven't eaten any of our pond bluegills yet, though we (and various friends and their kids) have had a ball catching/releasing them with barbless hooks. BUT...we had this red lobster, cod, clam, mussel chowder out on Fisherman's wharf in SF the day before we flew home. It was served in a breadbowl, and it was utterly amazing.

I found a recipe for it, and I'm thinking about recreating it with crawdad and bluegill meat. I am greatly amused by the idea of serving, here in Wyoming, a gourmet dish using "locally caught seafood."

We already have a tradition of feasting, once or twice a summer, on crawdads and burgers. I call it "redneck surf and turf."

[RiversGirl]

We already have a tradition of feasting, once or twice a summer, on crawdads and burgers. I call it "redneck surf and turf."

hahaha! Love your term for your traditional feast!

Do you happen to recall the name of the place on Fisherman's Wharf where you got that dish? It does sound delicious. Your idea of replicating it with your local ingredients sounds like such fun too. This definitely needs to be on your home menu!

[discusluv]

Blue Gill is pretty tasty. My favorite is crappie. :)

Nice pond you got there.

[WhistlingBadger]

@RiversGirl It was called "Cioppino's". The cioppino soup was amazing. The lobster/tomato chowder, in a sourdough breadbowl, was perhaps even better. And I'm glad I looked them up, because now can decide whether I want to make crawdad/bluegill ciappino, or red chowder. Hmm, I wonder where I can get some locally made andouille sausage...