Counting Fish

Goldfish and other Cyprinidae

I tried to count estimate the number of fish in our pond with some technical help. The cheap diggi-snappers today have no threads at the lenses anymore, so I had to try to adjust a polar filter with one hand, hold the camera with the other hand and throw the fish food with my third one. This seemed to work, call me Zaphod from now on.
But the camera didn’t want to play fair: I had either no correct focus (the polar filter seems to disturb the auto-focus and this thingies have no way to focus manually) or didn’t have the correct exposure—sometimes even both—so I just took some normal pictures and enhanced them digitally to get some rough information about the ichthyofauna of our little pond.
Most pictures were useful but boring with the exception of that one at the top.
Oh, and the fishes found and clearly identified were:
Carassius gibelio forma auratus (the goldfish)
Rhodeus amarus (European bitterling)
Cyprinus carpio (錦鯉)
A couple of small fish were not identifiable by me together with the poor method and the already starting growth of algae which makes the water quite opaque. The pond is small and muddy and a tough environment for most fish so I doubt I will find more species than those above.

Inedible Muscari (continued from Peek-A-Boo)

Muscari botryoides

Four more after the fold (Did I really choose a theme with no simple gallery?)

Cloudscape

Beware! Very large picture!

Spring seems to come, finally. Still a bit stuttering, though, average temperatures go up and down 10 degrees every two days.
On of the common situations in which a heart attack is not unexpected is while plowing snow. Now that I have survived that, ploughing might get me a second change.
At least I got the nearly thigh-high lawn mowed by now, the dead reed around the pond is mostly cut off, the rhododendrons got a handful of quite expensive compound fertiliser each, and this and that and those, too, but a lot is left to-do, still; the garden-year just started.

U.B.O. Unidentified Botanical Object II

Forgot the name and could not find it quickly within the internet

My talent in the art of plant identification is really poor, I have to admit. Two more pictures after the fold.

Not Found in Forest

Allium ursinum

Why not found in the forests where it is abundant and stinks to high heaven? Because it is forbidden and we all obey the law strictly and buy our stuff for a lot of money in the gardening department of the nearby DIY market, do we not?
Recipes will follow.

Something related to Italia

Bit dark, hu?

One for Anna

I see that oneanna65 is still on the web, so here is another picture of the card-carrying-republican cat. It seems as if it has gained some weight over the winter.

Holstein Cat, slightly crammed

It is the long and thick winter fur you say? Well…that’s my excuse, too 😉

Late Ground Frost Bit Hokkaido Pumpkin Early

*Sigh*

U.B.O. — Unidentified Botanical Object

What is this bulbous bulb and where is it attached to?

Mmh…looks curious

More hints (and the answer) after the fold

Oh, Sweet Violet!

Viola odorata