We Needed This

I’m now at the age when I sit on my front porch to watch the rain and say, “We sure needed this” to no one at all. But we did. This drought and excessive heat have been relentless this year, and it’s not even summer yet.

It seems like we skipped right over spring and fell face-first into the heart of a blast furnace. My pond is currently down around eight inches. A few weeks ago, I noticed a green hue in the water. As I waded into the murky water, I saw a few strands of green filamentous algae. This couldn’t stand. I didn’t want a green cesspool of murk. I haven’t been able to put a fountain out there yet, so I decided to science it up. Okay, I Googled it.

In an experiment between theory and practice, I had the bright idea to dye the pond dark blue. All the sponsored ads that magically showed up on my phone tricked me into this inky purchase. The more videos I watched, the more convinced I was that I needed “sunglasses for my pond,” as the advertisements all boasted. The idea was simple: block the light, block the algae growth.

The stuff I got was fish- and plant-safe. I felt it was worth a shot. As soon as I poured a couple of heavy pours of dye into the water, I knew I’d made a mistake. I threw rocks like a madman to diffuse the dye and spread the color. I attached a plastic sled to a rope and dragged it across the 60-foot expanse of the pond to create colorful waves. Within a few hours, the pond was royal blue, then almost black. Oof. What have I done?

My neighbor shouted over the privacy fence, “I like what you’ve done with the pond,” sarcastically. I just shook my head. Theory and practice, I mumbled to myself. On paper, this was a good idea; in real life, time will tell.

After a week or so, the water settled into what I can only refer to as “porta-john blue.” The floating bits of mud and sticks created a certain je ne sais quoi reminiscent of the finest heat-blasted construction toilet. It’s beautiful, really. Algae isn’t growing, so I guess there’s a positive there.

On a more positive note, I discovered a green heron stalking the banks of my turquoise oasis a few days ago. I was elated. Despite the water’s color, that bird indicates a healthy habitat. He was most likely dining on my baby green frogs, goldfish, and tiny turtles, but that’s a tax I’m willing to pay for more wildlife here on this small plot of land I call home. The whole idea was to build it so the proverbial “they” could come. They’re coming!

As the current burst of precipitation wanes and I listen to the drops bouncing off my gutters, I am at peace. Although many things are left unresolved with my employment situation and projects left undone, I’m still at a ceasefire with the war in my brain. That stuff will sort itself out. Right now, I’m focused on the rain. We needed it. I needed it. Here’s hoping it dilutes the backyard science project a bit.

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Stan Lake is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Bethania, North Carolina. His work has appeared in Dead Reckoning Collective, The Havok Journal, Reptiles Magazine, Lethal Minds Journal, and other outlets, and he directed Hammer Down, a documentary about his 2005 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with Alpha Battery 5-113th of the North Carolina Army National Guard. For The Havok Journal, he often writes essays and reflections about war memory, veteran life, the outdoors, and everyday experience. You can find his books, collected works, and social media at www.stanlakecreates.com.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.