The Back Pond (August 2017)
September 29, 2017
The Back Pond at Schoepfle Garden has fascinated me for years. It’s where I have captured reflections of the surrounding woods in all seasons. This summer, however, the park people installed one of those terrible aerator rings, which shoots up water in a constant disruption of natural surface variations. When I visited last month, I was lucky enough to be there when the thing was turned off.
Romancing Reality 
Just like looking through a certain type of glass – gentle distortion which is fascinating to look at in detail. I remember taking images so similar to these last Autumn and taking great joy in the experience. Gorgeous colours too, Linda
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September 29, 2017 at 3:47 AM
I think I remember photographs you posted of reflections in water—and thought they reminded me of mine. We can see so much more of what is happening with ripples when we stop their movement with the camera. Yes, great joy.
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September 29, 2017 at 5:23 PM
After seeing these photos I decided to visited a pond here in Webster (Where life is worth living) I got some similar photos but not nearly as colorful or artistic as yours. Nice work!
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September 29, 2017 at 1:21 PM
That’s hard to believe, Ken. I assume you fooled around with the shutter speed. I thought it should always be 1/80th or 1/100th of a second. But apparently that’s only true for some ripples. I.e., my rule doesn’t always work.
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September 29, 2017 at 5:26 PM
Much-enjoyed moment of reflection.
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September 29, 2017 at 4:19 PM
🙂 Thanks, George. Chuckle chuckle.
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September 29, 2017 at 5:27 PM
So pretty, and how aggravating that they installed the aerator, but I suppose it might be keeping the pond healthier. You do a beautiful job with reflections – and ripples!
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September 29, 2017 at 10:28 PM
Thanks, Lynn. I have to argue about the aerator, though. The pond is very small, maybe 30 by 60 feet, maybe even smaller. It supported blue-gill fish and frogs without a problem. Now the frogs are gone, and I imagine the blue gills are, too. I don’t think the pond is healthier for the aerator; it had plenty of oxygen before. Husband David suspects that the aerator was installed because “people like to see stuff squirted into the air.”
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September 30, 2017 at 3:35 PM
I hear you – I guess I was giving them the benefit of the doubt, but it sounds more like another “improvement” on what nature was doing just fine. So discouraging.
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September 30, 2017 at 9:41 PM
Well. I suppose I could give them the benefit of the doubt. But my biologist husband sees it my way, too, so I’m disinclined.
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October 1, 2017 at 11:33 AM