Koi

You don't see ads for Koi being given away very often, when you do and if you want them, you better drop whatever you're doing and call immediately.  I've done that over and over - sometimes I score, mostly I get "they're already gone".

Well, I have been frequenting Craigslist much more often and typing in Koi as the search and yes, I have seen the offers but haven't been able to "cash-in" on any of them.  There are a lot of people scouring the ads for free Koi.  This afternoon, the thought crossed my mind: let's take a look.  Pond being shut done, giving away my Koi and goldfish.  I called immediately.  No, no-one else had called and yes, he wants to give them away, but he wants to give ALL of them away to one person, including the goldfish.  I did not hesitate: okay.  If I couldn't take them in my pond, I have another guy who wants a lot more fish in his new pond.

I head over there.  I get 3/4's of the way there and see that my fuel gauge is just above empty.  No problem, stop and get some fuel before getting there.  Problem? I rushed out of the door so fast, I forgot my wallet!  Got to the house - it is foreclosed and already resold.  I didn't know that, I was ringing on the doorbell. If someone was home, they weren't answering.  Waiting - get a old of the guy, he is running late.

He finally shows up.  He was in LOVE with that pond. He did not want to lose his home, but he said that Bank of America would not help him.  I asked him about the HAMP program before finding out that he not only had been foreclosed on, the house was sold yesterday - for $60,000.  His loan was for $250,000.  This is the stark reality for a lot of folks in the Phoenix area: our homes are literally worthless compared to the amount we "paid" for them.

He had bought the Koi when they were very small and stated that he had had them for 2-1/2 years.  3 to 4 inches, some 5.  I got a lot of fish.  Small, fortunately, or I wouldn't have been able to deal with it in my ponds.  He came just short of crying.  He spoke about the pond and his fish as if he had grown up with the pond and as if the fish were family members.  I could only offer my apologies and sympathy for his situation in losing the home and his lifestyle.  I understand.  That's why I have fought to keep my place.  I don't want to  go rent out a property and live on a rental forever.

I was, however, very concerned when I found out these Koi had been sitting in this small, plastic tub for over a day.  No aeration.  Amazing they hadn't sucked all the air out of the water and floating, dead on the surface.

Well, I left, a bit saddened by this guy's new reality and the fact that he had to leave what he fought so desperately to keep.  As time moves on, he'll get over it, but it is still very fresh in his heart and mind right now.  No, I don't tell people to "get over it" or even think that, mostly.  Sometimes the situation warrants it, this guy was having his moment and I was not trying to deny it.  We shook hands and I left.  I did offer him that he could keep all of these fish in a small, plastic pond and they would adapt very well.  He said he had thought about it - but apparently his future includes having to move around alot.  I didn't ask, didn't think it appropriate, especially if it was going to bring up a tender/sore subject.  Better to leave it alone.

I do believe, however, I will offer to give him his fish back if he gets into a position where he will get a pond going again.  No-one talks about a thing with that much love in their voice, tone and words and doesn't think they aren't going to eventually get back into it again.  His remorse was that he had bought the fish when they were very small and had watched them grow for almost 3 years.  Wow.  What can you say to a person in that situation?  You can't really say anything, you just give them an ear to spill out on and give them a place to vent it out.

How will I identify these fish if that were to ever happen? Not too hard: they are the smallest fish in either pond.  I have good sized fish in those ponds.  Okay, they are mostly Koi and I know my Koi.  Today's addition was a LOT more Koi, but the smallest Koi is much larger than any of those.  Well, there are 3 Koi I haven't seen in a while - I don't know if they are still alive.  I bought them at PetSmart and have no idea whether they are still in those ponds or not - there are plenty of hiding places in them.  

Time for bed.

G'nite.

ben