New Resident in the Pond

On my list of things I cherish most, my Koi are right at the very tip. I have raised them from three inch fingerling's to their current ranges in size of eighteen to twenty some inches, and ages of ten to twenty three years old. If they stay as healthy as they are now they could live for seventy five + years. I pamper and fuss over them when something is not right, they all have names and come swarming like bees when they see me, especially when I have their food tin in hand. In an enclosed environment as a home pond one must always be looking for illness or infections that could rapidly spread to the rest of the inhabitants and that is one reason I don't add new koi to the pond. But......but that changed a month ago when a neighbor from down the street approached me whilst I was working in the front garden. He first asked if I had use of some very nice top of the line pond filters that he was giving to me free. I'm sure I looked quite puzzled when I said yes to his offer. He then told me that he was dismantling his ponds and building a shop in their location. His neighbor claimed the sound of the running water was an annoyance to them. and after a falling out claimed that it was the same neighbor that tossed an open bottle of brush killer into his pond and killed all but one of his Koi. He asked if I would please take this last surviving koi and put her in my pond. After listening to this horrific tale of woe I accepted. After two weeks of quarantine I felt she was healthy enough to add to my population, but I still watch her carefully for any sign's of illness or distress as her past living conditions were terrible, it was a large pond but the water was cesspool quality and it is a mystery that she survived as long as she has.

She is what is known as a Butterfly Koi due to the long flowing fins, not a pretty girl but has a sweet disposition and is slowly becoming tame. She is sort of a white metallic rather blah colour and has a brown blotchy sort of face that would stop a clock. I have tried to match a name to her but when I see her face all I can think of is an action figure from when my son's were little...."Skeletore"! So she remains un-named.

Two of my youngest, Elmer (lower speckled fish) and Azul  (Spanish for Blue) and then the "clock stopper", her face reminds me of a skeleton.

This is one of my Butterfly Koi, the beautiful "Athena".

And this very large girl, also a Butterfly is "Ariel".

This is the old man in the pond "Confucious", he is twenty three years old.

My personal favorite and the second oldest fish at twenty two, "Minikui" which is Japanese for ugly one.

This is Big Norman always looking for something to eat.

 So at the moment all is tranquil in the pond, and still thinking of a name.....