@feinschmeckergarten how amazing to be able to witness nature at its most basic and rudimentary level. And how amazing that you've built a place that allows all that sometimes terrible magic to unfold 💗

@TraRay Many people ask, if the pond isn't a lot of work.
But the most time it takes, is to watch:
Dragonfly larvae metamorphosing into imagines, flying away on soft wings.
Swallows diving into the water , catching insects.
Male newts trying to impress the females.
How many hours may I have spent lying flat on the ground staring into the water?
It is absolute luxury to have this "unproductive" body of water, that is free of fish.
How is your pond coming along. Is your son happy with the output?

@feinschmeckergarten we constantly marvel at how life has seemingly spontaneously taken over! The tadpoles are my personal favorite to watch, though there is a whole web of life that's taken shape in and around those waters, just as you describe. K is still trying to figure out how to harvest some of the fish... They refuse to bite a hook and have far too many hiding places for easy netting. Overall, he - and everyone else - is thrilled with the pond. It's everything we'd hoped it would be.