Publishers’ Perspective
Well, well, well. Here we are in September already! I don’t know about you, but I think this particular summer moved along on hyper-speed.
One good reason the last few months have flown by: I had my very first pond installed in my yard! I can’t be the publisher of a pond magazine without a pond of my own, right? Now I can experience the PONDering lifestyle firsthand, weathering the challenges that come with owning and maintaining a pond — not to mention the pure enjoyment. After only a few weeks, I can tell you with great enthusiasm that I absolutely love it! Of course, no one mentioned that there would be giant toads in the skimmer box most mornings, but that’s a story for another column. I’ll share lots of photos and details in an upcoming issue.
Until then, let’s talk fall. As the summer evenings grow cooler, some northern PONDerers are beginning the transition into the pond off-season. Thankfully, the slowdown of your fish needn’t mean the slowdown of your business! Carl Petite offers some great suggestions for building your pond business in the off-season simply by being yourself, and Michael Zmina has a number of tips for winterizing your pond in a way that won’t hurt its ecosystem — or your wallet.
For those of you who prefer not to think about cold weather until it arrives, we have a few features to warm your heart (and one that will boil your blood). Rick Bartel’s moving portrait of post-earthquake Haiti illustrates the fulfillment that comes from pond philanthropy, and Jamie Beyer’s story on mink and other predators will have you ready to wage war to protect your koi!
Thankfully, fall is the season of trade shows, and this year we’ve got more than our fair share. If you missed Aquascape’s Pondemonium 2013 a few weeks ago, don’t fret: you can catch a handful of other shows in the coming weeks, including the Blue Thumb Pond Expo in Saginaw, Mich. in October and the IPPCA’s InfoTanza in Austin, Texas this November. All of these shows are great ways to stay in touch and learn new things as we head into fall, gathering “nuts” of information to nourish and inspire us when the season winds down.
As Eric Tate’s column in this issue suggests, there’s no better way to improve our industry than to improve our own knowledge. My hope for this fall is that POND Trade will be a vital part of your efforts toward that goal.
Happy PONDering!
