October Dandy

Kathleen, on the far bank in front of the house, steering the duck along the shore. 

It was the best day of October. The Autumn air was just right, cool and crackly dry, but warm enough to make neighbors tarry as they walked to the mailbox or out back to pull some weeds or find some other excuse to loiter.
Kathleen slipped Piper into the pond, she's mastering the mechanics of the complicated remote control joystick. We're also having a hard time overcoming a nasty list to the right side, which makes Piper the plastic mallard duck tend to turn in tight circles. Kathleen got the duck to swim out to the island, but it wasn't easy. We're making adjustments.
Earlier in the day Stan was delighted to see that the bait fish have spawned and he estimates about a thousand little fry are now swimming with the fingerlings. We hope they'll survive the winter. The water is now eight feet deep so there's a good chance they will.

If he doesn't straighten up, we'll start calling him
Franz Liszt

Our pond expert, Bob Suel, was here for a beer last night; his Koi are in his basement in the stock tank for the winter. He doesn't have an opinion about the survivability of our school; it doesn't help to have a   green heron lunching out there every day, he says.

No worries, if today's number makes it through the freeze up.  If our census is accurate, Gary will be able to fish all he wants next year.
Back indoors we were happy to learn the stock market got back into better shape after a wild ride and our Kansas City Royals were making a sweep of it.
It's been a good day.