FC Almighty ... With Apologies To Evan and Noah.

The voice came to me one day as I crunched across the dusty, brown grass down by the pond ... only there was no pond, just a hole in the dirt.

"FC, YOU MUST BUILD AN ARK"

"No, I must not."

Notice how I did not question the source of the voice? I don't stick earbuds in my ears and there was no one else around, so ...

"YES, YOU MUST"

"No, that's not a good idea. Don't you remember the duck hunting boat I built in the backyard when I was 17?

"OH ... YES, BUT YOU ARE A BETTER BUILDER NOW, AND THIS ARK IS A DIFFERENT ..."

"Sorry, I'm still emotionally scarred by the experience. Remember how that old Minorcan fisherman,  Mr. Capo, leaned over the fence every day and criticized each cut, each hammer stroke? He must have told me a hundred times how he could do it better."

"HE WAS A BIT CRITICAL."

"A bit?"

"JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN FOR A MOMENT ... YOUR CONSTANT INTERRUPTING MAKES ME WANT TO SMITE YOU."

"Okay, okay, ... no smiting. I'm listening."

"THESE ARKS ..."

"Arks? Plural?"

"...WILL NOT INVOLVE BUILDING ANYTHING. YOU ONLY NEED TO DIG."

" Dig? Okay, I'm listening."

"YOU ARE TO GO FORTH AND INSTALL WATERING HOLES AROUND PFHQ SO THAT ALL MANNER OF BEASTS MAY HAVE WATER DURING THE DROUGHTS."

"All right, but ... couldn't you do that with like ... a wink and a nod?"

"I AM TRYING SO HARD NOT TO SMITE YOU RIGHT NOW."

"Okay, okay. I can dig holes."

"AMEN TO THAT."

So, I got busy of course. Currently there are 4 in-ground artificial water bodies scattered around PFHQ and 2 above ground "ponds". This spring has been incredibly dry with almost no rain for months.
We are as dry as back in 1998 when Florida was burning and an entire county (Flagler) was evacuated due to fires.
On a good note, it rained here yesterday and there is the promise of more!"

Even though iris can tolerate dry periods, having the arks around helped these potted irises to thrive and multiply.

The Florida Cooter babies I hatched back in '06 are the kings of the livestock tank turned "Ark" out by the garden.

The blue flag iris out in a mini-ark by the aquaculture tank were so happy to have water during the drought that they made fruit.

A mix of frogs found the different in-ground arks on their own.

This guy was added to the aquaculture ark as a tadpole rescued from the drying "real pond" on the east end of PFHQ.

He's one lucky frogling.


So, what's the lesson here?

Well, for one thing, water holes are vital during droughts and they don't have to be huge to be important to wildlife.

Three of these "arks" are 30 gallon garden pond tubs from Home Depot or Lowes. They have attracted all manner of beasties from insects to vertebrates. I did stock each with Gambusia minnows to prevent mosquito breeding, but most of the critters found them on their own.

There are deer tracks around the one that is deep in the woods, and an owl has been perched on a low limb over that "ark" almost every day this month.

I think he may be hunting some of those who come to the water hole.

I have plans for more, after all water is THE limiting factor for wildlife. The goal here is to help my critters get through droughts ... a lifeboat if you will, but one filled with water, not riding atop it.

Heck, I may even dust off those skiff boat plans I mail ordered back in the '80's and finally build that real boat.

After all, here at PFHQ, there are no neighbors to peer across the fence and critique my work ...
... except for Mr. Omniscient of course.

"I HEARD THAT!"

Oops.