May 6 - For about the last month there has been at least one Mallard duck on zenpond each day. Several times there have been as many as four. The bullfrogs are out. Everything is growing so fast. john is attempting to train an Austrian Pine and a Weeping Cherry in a bonsai fashion. He freely admits he doesn't know much about how to do this. For fourteen years, john hasn't known how to build zenpond, but that hasn't stopped him.

OOPS, a male Mallard just "dropped in" for a little cracked corn and a few drinks of water.

On Sunday john sat reading David McCullough's "Truman", an excellent book by an excellent author. The sun was shining and john was sitting in the leather "pouch" chair facing zenpond. joyce was at the grocery store. It wasn't until a friend called and asked if he was watching television did john realize that there were tornados all around them. Several towns had already been leveled and one person was dead. All the passengers at Kansas City International airport were taken off planes and directed to underground tunnels. Friends from other parts of the country started calling john to see if they were okay. Overland Park didn't even feel a thing!

joyce and john are still moving back into their remodeled house or, a better way of putting it, is they are still unpacking boxes (and probably will be for the next year). Actually, the house looks fantastic!!! It is absolutely beautiful and beyond their wildest dreams. john describes it as "lake contemporary" (he should say "zenpond contemporary").

john and joyce invited their friends from Spain last Saturday night for dinner and asked them to bring a couple from Sri Lanka. When the couple from Sri Lanka entered the house, they were very taken aback. The remodel is pretty much the way a house would be designed in their country: very clean lines, vaulted ceiling with fans, one side looking out at the water, and minimally decorated. (john hasn't connected his scanner since the remodel or would put some pictures up.)

During dinner, john mentioned that the last time they were at Fort Leavenworth, joyce and john had noticed that on Major Jayasundera's dress uniform was a Purple Heart. He told us that he had received it for injuries received while fighting the terrorists attacking Sri Lanka. There were 69 soldiers on his side at the time of the attack and 300 on the terrorist's side. The battle went on for 11 days while two additional waves of terrorists (300 each wave) attacked them. They were without food or water except for an aircraft dropping ice cubes, to keep them from dying of thirst. Since the drops were not accurate, the soldiers had to crawl out onto the battlefield and risk their lives to find the ice cubes. Finally an explosion went off within several feet of Jayasundera's position. Pieces of metal flew through his arms and into his flack jacket. He could see flames in front of his face and closed his eyes and started beating his jacket and face to put the flames out. He ended up spending two months in the hospital. He has had plastic surgery several times on his face. You could never tell he had even been burned. Both Jayasundera and his wife are very handsome people. She is an airline attendant. Oh yes, to finish Jayasundera's story, only one soldier on the Sri Lankan side was killed while heavy losses were experienced by the terrorists. The Sri Lankan soldiers had successfully held their position.

May 20 - With the weather so great, it is hard for john to come in and update the journal. It rained last night, so this is a good time to catch up.

So what is new at zenpond?

john received a call from the Water Garden Society of Greater Kansas City asking to come over an see zenpond next month. That means about 15 -25 members will drop over to see what 14 years of playing in water means for john. A number of members have been getting soaked a lot longer than john. john wasn't a charter member of the society. He joined as number "89". There are well over a thousand members in the society now!

john is rebuilding a new spa deck (after putting in a new spa as a part of the remodeling project).

An electrician came over last Sunday and now there is permanent power in the pump house. At some point, john would like to control the pumps and outdoor lighting via computer using a digital card and solid state relays, but that is a long ways away.

john and joyce usually wake up to two male Mallards either swimming in the pond or just standing on the deck keeping each other company. john has made an opening in the fence, so when Mom brings her new ducklings this year, she won't have trouble getting into zenpond. Last year, this was a major problem.

john gave up on the pretty glass globe hummingbird feeder that he never could keep from leaking. He purchased the one that looks like a flying saucer. All the sugar water stays in the saucer! The first day john installed the new feeder, he saw two hummingbirds drinking from it.

john took out a number of junipers damaged by the ice storm two years ago and it really opened the area up. The only problem now is that john has found yet another place to put in another raised garden!!!

Overall, zenpond is looking better and better. You cannot beat May and June in Overland Park.

john and joyce probably should have a party at zenpond. joyce is retiring after teaching fourth grade for 38 years, the house has just been remodeled, and john and joyce will have been married 35 years in June.