First Dead Fish

Lovely title, aye?
Well, that's what I found when I came home from work today.
I saw that fish and first thought that a Heron might have found my ponds and here we go, what now?
But then, I started thinking about it.  This is the pond that is above ground.  From what I have read, Heron need to be able to step into a pond.  I don't think that includes up and over almost 2 feet in heigth.

The dead fish was about 3-1/2 feet from the pond.  What Heron is going to drop a fish, as what I've read can happen, only 3 feet from a pond and not stop to pick it back up?  From what I've read, it's much further away, they're taking off, drop it, for whatever reason don't come back for it.  But 3 feet?

I surmise the thing accidentally jumped out of the pond.  It happens.  I have seen some of those fish jumping out of the water on more than one occasion.  They have, however, always landed back IN the water, not outside of the pond itself.  It undoubtedly flopped around until it could flop no more and that was the end of it.  The fish was, obviously, long dead.

Nothing I could do about that - but - I was thankful it was a goldfish and not one of my Koi.  I have too many goldfish to begin with, I am still trying to give some of them away.  That's how unpopular goldfish are in ponds and how popular Koi are - people don't even want to come get them for free.  No, I am not crying, there is no grief such as whenever I lose a dog, it's just a fish.  Koi, I wouldn't be that way, either, but I would look at the money lost and the time spent scouring Craiglist ads to get them.

Well, anyway, I HOPE it wasn't a Heron, they are plenteous in the Phoenix area but - there aren't any ponds around here that I know of.  I can say that because yes, I have looked at Google earth and other such venues for such in my area.  Plenty of pools, no ponds.  Heron aren't going to "naturally" be in this area looking for more victims.  A pond shows up on a satellite view pretty much as easily as a pool does, not quite as much cause pools are much brighter in the exposure.

Changing the subject and just throwing this out there:  We all remember 911.  Terrorists using jumbo jets as giant bombs.  This is the irony of the TSA forcing pilots to be subjected to these scanning and/or groping searches at the airports.  What would they need with a weapon if they were so inclined?  They have one of the largest flying weapons you can find: a jumbo jet, filled with fuel, a literal flying gas bomb at their disposal.  It makes no sense.  But, I am totally against both of these types of searches anyway.  One is irradiating you and also allowing naked views, the other has a complete, perfect stranger feeling out your penis, testicles, butt, vagina, boobs, it's insanity.  The protests aren't going to go away.

The argument that it's low level radiation doesn't wash with me.  I don't care what level of radiation it is, I don't want ANY part of it.

The "final" tenant handed over rent today.  All accounts are now even.  For the first time in a long time.  I have a water bill left to pay this month and that is it for recurring monthly bills excepting the mortgage - which - I get paid on Friday.  That paycheck is gone already, lol.  Electric use is way down; water use is down; food expenditures an eighth of what it used to be, if even that.  I hear people getting into a heated argument outside, I think I'll mosy out there and see what's going on - next door neighbors that is.

G'day.

ben