Three enigmas on my hike this morning:
1. The mystery of the polished elderberries ...
2. What creature is swirling the steel water tanks ...
3. What kind of algae is white and takes over the pond ...

1. The mystery of the polished elderberries ...
I figured out that the white yeast on these elderberries is flushed
off at the top by the birds who swoop in (they can't hover) and with
their wings, they flap and pluck berries - where the wings wipe the
yeast off the berries:
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5567/1...7a772c73_b.jpg

2. What creature is swirling the steel water tanks ...
But, what is making this swirl in my gray steel tanks and the same
swirl (in the middle steel tank) of my neighbor?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3879/1...3a8b91b8_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5507/1...0d057f23_b.jpg


3. What kind of algae is white and takes over the pond ...
This stuff is white???? What is it? Is it algae which innoculates
the pool? Or some other cruft?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3873/1...ff393e2c_b.jpg

On Sat, 5 Jul 2014 19:21:30 +0000 (UTC), "DannyD."
wrote:


3. What kind of algae is white and takes over the pond ...
This stuff is white???? What is it? Is it algae which innoculates
the pool? Or some other cruft?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3873/1...ff393e2c_b.jpg


Search for Pink Slim & White Water Mold. I believe it not an algae,
but bacterial?

On Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:52:39 -0700, Oren wrote:


Search for Pink Slim & White Water Mold. I believe it not an algae,
but bacterial?

I don't mean to be picky, but who is "Pink Slim," a skinny fudge
packer? And while we're at it, isn't "White Water Mold" racist?!?

On Sun, 06 Jul 2014 15:11:41 -0500, Gordon Shumway
wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:52:39 -0700, Oren wrote:


Search for Pink Slim & White Water Mold. I believe it not an algae,
but bacterial?

I don't mean to be picky, but who is "Pink Slim," a skinny fudge
packer? And while we're at it, isn't "White Water Mold" racist?!?

I really don't care about being picky. WWM is not racist.

Sincerely,

Laziest White Man Alive.

Oren wrote: "- show quoted text -
I really don't care about being picky. WWM is not racist.

Sincerely,

Laziest White Man Alive. "


Hate to disappoint ya Oren, but while *all* ethnicities have the capacity to be racist, it is whites/caucasians that have displayed racism, and displayed it the most abjectly, over at least the past several centuries.

On Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:52:39 -0700, Oren wrote:

Search for Pink Slim & White Water Mold.
I believe it not an algae, but bacterial?

Hi Oren,
Thanks for pitching in on the "cooties".
I thought it was strange to be a white color since I thought algae were
photosynthetic.

Googling for pink slime, I had to add "pond water" because it came up with
foodstuffs first, this backs up your inference that it's a bacterium:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...5822942.html?5
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/pink.php
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com...aquariums.html
etc.

At the moment, I'm tentatively calling it "Red Slime Cyanobacteria", but
the google images search isn't conclusive yet:
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=...0Cyanobacteria

On Wed, 9 Jul 2014 10:44:59 -0700, "Danny D."
wrote:

On Sun, 06 Jul 2014 08:52:39 -0700, Oren wrote:

Search for Pink Slim & White Water Mold.
I believe it not an algae, but bacterial?

Hi Oren,
Thanks for pitching in on the "cooties".
I thought it was strange to be a white color since I thought algae were
photosynthetic.

I've seen white growth in artesian well water. Never hurt to drink
the water as long as it flowed.

Googling for pink slime, I had to add "pond water" because it came up with
foodstuffs first, this backs up your inference that it's a bacterium:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/...5822942.html?5
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/algae-control/pink.php
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com...aquariums.html
etc.

Butterbean

At the moment, I'm tentatively calling it "Red Slime Cyanobacteria", but
the google images search isn't conclusive yet:
http://images.google.com/search?tbm=...0Cyanobacteria


What exactly are you doing with this pond? We remember the thread on
the stone work repairs. Is it for fish or plants?

Bull frogs would love what you have: http://www.bullfrogs.com/

Oren wrote, on Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:59:47 -0700:

What exactly are you doing with this pond? We remember the thread on
the stone work repairs. Is it for fish or plants?

Long story, the wife wanted to save some mosquito fish, so, we put them
there, and then I cannibalized the pump for the filtering system ... so
.... well ... so .... um ... well ... that's the end of the strategic
answer to 'what are you doing with this pond' question.

It's a multi-level structure, which, I guess, I should do *something*
with, but I never asked for it in the first place (it came with the
house).

What do other people do with these things?
How do you filter it without filtering the fish to death anyway?

On Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:58:55 +0000 (UTC), "DannyD."
wrote in

What do other people do with these things?

Drain it and plant grass seed.
--
Web based forums are like subscribing to 10 different newspapers
and having to visit 10 different news stands to pickup each one.
Email list-server groups and USENET are like having all of those
newspapers delivered to your door every morning.

On Fri, 11 Jul 2014 19:58:55 +0000 (UTC), "DannyD."
wrote:

Oren wrote, on Thu, 10 Jul 2014 09:59:47 -0700:

What exactly are you doing with this pond? We remember the thread on
the stone work repairs. Is it for fish or plants?

Long story, the wife wanted to save some mosquito fish, so, we put them
there, and then I cannibalized the pump for the filtering system ... so
... well ... so .... um ... well ... that's the end of the strategic
answer to 'what are you doing with this pond' question.


Well I be dang. There is such a creature.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish#Diet

("...Mosquitofish have also shown cannibalistic behavior in laboratory
experiments; however, whether these traits are hereditary is unknown.)

It's a multi-level structure, which, I guess, I should do *something*
with, but I never asked for it in the first place (it came with the
house).

What do other people do with these things?
How do you filter it without filtering the fish to death anyway?

Make a meat smoker - man up

"DannyD." wrote in message
...

2. What creature is swirling the steel water tanks ...
But, what is making this swirl in my gray steel tanks and the same
swirl (in the middle steel tank) of my neighbor?
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3879/1...3a8b91b8_b.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5507/1...0d057f23_b.jpg

Some animal that's rubbing against the tank looking for water. I assume
it's pretty dry where you live. At first I thought you were talking about
the swirling inside the tank. I'd look for animal hairs caught on anything
that might trap them. Could be deer eating some of the foilage that's
hanging down near the tanks.

http://www.outdoorlife.com/node/45352

Has some interesting information about "deer rubs." Lots of other animals
will run up on things like your tank to leave their scent markings,
particularly on something like a water tank whose obvious leakage (from the
photo) probably is considered "good territory" because it provides an
important resource.

Obviously a job for a "critter cam" - If you lived close by I'd lend you
mine - it's solved many a mystery about who did something in the backyard
when I wasn't watching. Reminds me of what happened a while back - people
had tied yellow ribbons around their oak trees as reminders of family
serving in Iraq. Almost every day, someone would rip the ribbons off the
trees. Damned liberal peaceniks were suspected g but a critter cam
revealed it was squirrels, building nests with the ribbons which they
apparently found irresistible.

--
Bobby G.

On Mon, 7 Jul 2014 13:38:00 -0400, Robert Green wrote:

Some animal that's rubbing against the tank looking for water. I assume
it's pretty dry where you live.

It's a pretty "big" animal that can make that type of semicircular swirl,
but, we do see it on two different homes' tanks, so, it's caused by
something.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3883/1...d4a0c232_b.jpg

Both homes would have the same deer, mountain lions, cyotes, fox, bobcats,
and, well, nothing else big other than those (e.g., rabbits & quail
galore!).

There's no rain out here to speak of (this news article said we had 4
inches of rain in all of 2013):
http://www.ibtimes.com/current-calif...ir-way-1548912

"Danny D." wrote in message
...
On Mon, 7 Jul 2014 13:38:00 -0400, Robert Green wrote:

Some animal that's rubbing against the tank looking for water. I assume
it's pretty dry where you live.

It's a pretty "big" animal that can make that type of semicircular swirl,
but, we do see it on two different homes' tanks, so, it's caused by
something.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3883/1...d4a0c232_b.jpg

Both homes would have the same deer, mountain lions, cyotes, fox, bobcats,
and, well, nothing else big other than those (e.g., rabbits & quail
galore!).

Who knows what comes looking for water in a drought that bad? Buffalo from
other states, escaped zoo critters, etc. (-: Either it was scent marking
or they were trying to coerce more water out of the tank than the little
leakage we saw in the photo. The next step is to sniff or lick the tank to
determine if there's scent marking accompanying the rub marks. Eeeeww!
(Just kidding - but it does look like some sort of animal marking. Or you
have tiny "squeegee elves" that must have escaped from the Magic Kingdom.

I'd be taking my morning walks with some sort of protection. One of my
earliest memories is of a trip to Canada with the family. We stopped at a
local "petting zoo" where my poor mom was chased around pretty viciously by
a goose who apparently took exception to her straw hat. Or her head. We
were never sure other than watching him try to peck her on top of her head
(and elsewhere). That's when I learned where the term "being goosed" came
from.

As if that weren't enough, a camel hocked the biggest loogie I've ever seen
right on her. Needless to say, at an early age I developed a profound
respect for wildlife and realized my mother had pretty bad luck with
animals.

There's no rain out here to speak of (this news article said we had 4
inches of rain in all of 2013):

http://www.ibtimes.com/current-calif...ir-way-1548912

A while back my friend tried to get me to move to Phoenix but I just
couldn't see moving to a place where if the electricity goes out, Mother
Nature tries very hard to cook you. I remember asking him why are there are
these highway bridges over huge ditches? Then I visited during the very
brief but very respectable rainy season and discovered why.

I hope your drought ends sooner than later. It must be a pretty common
occurrence in your area if they make you maintain huge cisterns. That
sounds like the voice of bitter experience. Just recently I learned that
the water rules are so tough in Colorado, you can't even legally capture the
roof run-off from your own home. Sheesh.

--
Bobby G.