Farewell sweet fish friends

Co-existing with nature and neighbors. Interesting concept. Something, obviously, I need to learn. When you think about it, we have no choice but to trust each other, and when there is failure, to forgive and even help.

This was my pond a couple weeks ago.

My neighbor west of our home, had filled in a field drain when he had his pond dug, even tho my husband and neighbor to the east, asked him to please be careful not to.But he did it anyway. He's moved, too.

What does this mean? It means that after the big rain we had last week, ours and a few other neighbors yards flooded with water that normally would have flowed thru the field drain and then into a drainage ditch way, way down the road.

Instead water has sat for days in the hot sun, cooking the grass it is drowning, making a mosquito haven and causing quite an unpleasant odor. It killed my neighbor's garden and eventually the rotting vegitation water found it's way into our pond and killed all our fish. Now, the pond is black and our fish are lying dead on the edges.

(Elle & I used to visit the pond 4-5 times a day)

I am heartbroken. They were like pets to us, especially the Koi. We had twelve and they were all unbelievably beautiful and tame.

We had to watch them slowly die from suffocation.

(I'm glad I took pics of them while they were alive & well).

I've talked to several "government officials" who told us:

1. there is nothing they can do to help

2. it's a civil matter and I need a lawyer, but to keep in mind drainage cases take about seven years to resolve.

So, here's the plan; trust that everyone involved will chip in and help resolve this matter, peacefully. No hard feelings. Just neighbors co-existing with each other.

I am fighting another battle and that's the one inside my head that wants to get mad and say to hell with it. I'll never, ever do one more stupid improvement to my property and as soon as I can I am out of this one horse town, I'm gone. I want to tell off the people in their elected positions that are supposed to help us (tax payers) and ask them what IS it that they CAN do? Besides sit behind their desk eating snicker bars and surfing the net?

One last thought before I totally bum myself out:

Inside every problem there is a gift.

I will try to search for this gift instead of looking at the devastation.

I'll let you know if I find it.

I wonder if I'll ever sit and watch the sunset here again or not? I guess it was supposed to be, or it would not.....be.

Lord, help me not to fight reality but to count my many blessings.