March 8 - The pair of Mallard ducks have been staying all day long at zenpond for the past week. There are signs everywhere of Spring arriving. The temperatures are often reaching into the sixties. Flowers are breaking through the ground. Chipmunks are out of hibernation. john is reading "Gardening for Dummies" and just bought out most of the seed packages from Wal-Mart. He purchased Lobella, Liatris, Ageratum, Phlox, Impatiens, Aubrieta and African Daisies.

john has been planning to build more shelving in the basement and thought he could first put these shelves to use as seedling beds. Later, the same shelves will be used for tempoary storage of a number of items while the house undergoes a major remodel.

Several groups have asked to tour zenpond this year. One group is a class of 24 teachers taught through the World Wildlife Federation and the other is the Prairie Gardeners. john has not had groups visit since he feels that he has several more years before zenpond is complete. These groups will have to realize that zenpond is a work in process. Both groups have Master Gardeners and teachers in them, so john will share his 13 summers of building zenpond, but will listen intently to those with much more knowledge than he has. joyce and john have some concern that the remodel may interfere with the tours. If this is the case, john may ask a fellow ponder with an even bigger pond if he would allow the tours to come there instead.

March 28 - john and joyce went to Branson, MO for four days. They went with their best friends, Jerry and Gail. While there they celebrated john's birthday at the "Top of the Rock" restaurant, which is part of Big Cedar Lodge. This is an excellent restaurant for dinner and the lodge is an absolutely wonderful place to stay! They went to the show by the Japanese violinist, Shoji Tabushi. john and joyce recommends that show for sure! They also went to the ProBass Shop in Springfield, MO and the new "American National Fish and Wildlife Museum" next door to it. This is another place not to be missed! john was highly impressed. john couldn't believe the artificial rocks (cliffs, actually) they had built there. There were huge indoor waterfalls and fish ponds with otters, beavers, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, birds, snakes, bobcats and, of course, fish! john could not begin to guess at the size of the ponds, but might put them in the range of many 100 of thousands of gallons. Many parts of the museum reminded joyce and john of the Monterrey Bay Aquarium in California. This museum was built by the owner of the BassPro Shop, who is a major naturalist! This museum was absolutely awesome! If you get a chance to go there, DO!

When joyce and john got home and checked their email, john found that he had received a very nice email from Dotti which went as follows:

"I believe you are giving Monet's water garden some competition. This is lovely. Thank you for sharing the beauty.

I teach interdisciplinary humanities at Harford Community College at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. My students are studying the Tao and examining some examples of Buddhist art forms. I'm going to send them to your Web site. I hope you don't mind."

What a delightful email! Somewhere on this site, there is a picture of zenpond which john pixelated in a Monet fashion. john would take issue that he is giving Monet any competition however. This just shows the fun you can have using Picture Publisher and the computer. john, of course, doesn't mind at all!