Goldfish, Not River Fish

image courtesy of Sommai at
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

There has been lots in the news lately concerning the invasiveness of goldfish in rivers, streams and ponds in Alberta and Toronto.

Many years ago, I had a friend who built a pond in her back yard, and then bought a few gold fish to put in it.  In the beginning, the fish were brought indoors during the winter months and put into an aquarium in the living room.  Goldfish grow according to how much space they have and soon the fish that lived in the pond during the summer were too big to all fit into the aquarium. She would then select a few for her winter amusement, to live in the aquarium, and bought a child's wading pool for the rest of them. Those ones got to live in that pool in the basement, and by spring had usually managed to reproduce. Now, some of the offspring were pretty and golden and got to live in the pond or the aquarium, while others were brown and deemed by my friend to be "river fish".  She would take those ones down and turn them loose in the Rideau River, where they may have been eaten up by larger fish.....or not.  If not, then they have had ample room to grow and become an invasive species here too. 

I'm not sure anyone would notice though as goldfish are carp. The common carp  (Cyprinus carpio)has been found throughout the Rideau River since the 1930s.  They were introduced into Ontario from the United States in 1880. This species, native to Europe and Asia, quickly spread throughout southern Ontario and has reached as far north as Sturgeon Bay, Ontario.

This fish has been blamed for destroying the spawning areas of many aquatic insects, amphibians and other fish by rooting in the mud along shorelines.  Uprooting aquatic plants increases the turbidity, which is rather like smoke in the water.  The suspended particles can block the grills of other fish, so they stay away.  If eggs have already been laid in these areas, they could be covered by these particles, which would interfere in their development.

There have been years when I have seen carp swim up to the dam here in town. They were fascinating to watch as they made like salmon, trying to jump up the onrushing flow of the water going over the dam. I don't think there is any way any of them could have gone upstream from that point, but they surely could go downstream.  I don't know if the carp I've seen here had anything to do with the "river fish" my friend turned loose all those years ago. I now suspect they fit right in with the rest of the carp in the river though. 

I have also seen schools of carp in  the Tay River in Perth, Ontario. The Tay is a tributary to the Rideau River, upstream from here.  Children like to get into the stream that runs though Stewart Park in Perth, in the spring  and pet the fish. Carp are rather docile and friendly enough to swim right up to a person.  That may be why they were domesticated in the first place.

While it's likely the giant goldfish in Alberta will upset the aquatic eco system, the list of native species found in the Rideau now includes the carp. When something has been around long enough, I guess it's considered normal. 

It is illegal to transfer fish from one body of water to another. That means you cannot legally do what my friend did.  Not only does such an act introduce a fish into waters where it does not belong, but if you also dump the water the fish has been living in into the river too that would also introducing bacteria and parasites to a new location as well.  Do not be responsible for upsetting the balance of nature, even if it's already been done in your area.

Don't flush your unwanted live fish down the toilet either. If you no longer want your finned pets, give them away, take them to a pet store, donate them to a school, or talk to a veterinarian about humane disposal.

Summer Weekends

My favorite thing about summer is that there are so many places to go and things to do, and most of it is free.

This weekend we were out looking for another art show but stopped to explore the Stewart Park Festival in Perth.  There were two stages with musical performances going on at the same time, plus other assorted things to amuse young and old alike. 

The weather was fantastic, so families were also enjoying the stream that runs through the park.  We never did find the art show we were looking for, but we've already been to a couple this summer, so we'll try for that one again next year.

Then, of course, there are the farmer's markets. Kemptville has eliminated the competition by holding theirs on Sunday afternoons, instead of using the usual Saturday morning time slot.  One of the great things about that is that our favorite vendor is now available much closer to home. I'm sure we will both gain some weight by the end of the summer because Frank's Buttermilk Pie is entirely too good to resist!  It is available with or without various berries in it, and only costs $8.50 per pie.  You won't get a better deal for anything so delicious anywhere else. I guarantee it.

Today we brought home some scones from another vendor, as we can eat them in one sitting, and not be tempted to get carried away.  I do need to fit into that new bathing suit, you know.  Scrummy Scones have some interesting varieties, and are available for taste testing first, as are Grammie's Jams.  Actually they go very well together. 

Now that I've had a perfect weekend, my garden can stand a bit of rain. I'm so glad it didn't come in time to spoil our fun.

Out and About

When I started this blog I said I'd report on the various places I go, other than when I'm out geocaching.  Apparently I have not been very good at that, as I'm often out somewhere and not telling you about it.  I'm going to make an attempt to rectify that.

Saturday we spent the morning hauling poplar branches to the dump. We had to have some large limbs removed after recent wind storms. There's still a lot to move yet, but 3 trailer loads was enough for one day. 

We decided to head to Perth, just to wander around, but when we got there we thought, since we had not been to Balderson for quite a while, we would go there instead. 

Things have certainly changed.  The Balderson Cheese Factory is where we used to take the kids for a nice ice cream treat way back when we still had kids at home.  They don't make cheese there anymore, but they still do sell cheeses and ice cream and other good food stuffs.  Two "small" cones, consisting of two large scoops of ice cream each, can still be had for just $5. 

What has really changed is that they have turned the old cheese factory into an Amish Store.  It's an amazing place.  We really enjoyed wandering through all the rooms and seeing all the interesting things they have to sell.  There were chairs in a wide variety of styles and I sat in several of these.  Who knew a simple wooden chair could be so comfortable!  The prices were high but I doubt these things would ever fall apart.

If you had a new baby, how could you resist a rocking chair and a cradle that are linked together.  You rock, and the cradle rocks too. Fantastic!

In the kitchen displays I noticed they had what looked like an old wood stove, but it was really an electric range.  I'm not sure that's "Amish" but it was certainly interesting to see.

The thing that fascinated us the most was the clocks.  Some where regular clock faces but you could also see the works behind the glass.  Others had their faces split in two or more pieces and when you pressed a button they would open and spin around while playing music.  I've never seen anything like that before. 

There were several different styles and once you got one working it would attract other people who would then press the button on another one.  While this was going on you would have no idea what time it was, but honestly, you really wouldn't care.  It's a genuine conversation piece.













We also discovered that within the shop there is a  nice little restaurant. Of course, by then we were already full of ice cream, but we'll remember to check this out next time we go.  They are even open early enough for breakfast.

We did stop at Stewart Park, in Perth, on the way back home.  There had been a wedding there earlier and the photographer was still taking pictures. The general public was also enjoying the water and shade. It's always a nice place to go to relax.