My Own Spyware

The fish pond was carefully positioned to give maximum viewing pleasure but there was a tiny flaw in my planning--it's impossible to tell from inside the house whether the pump is working.

This isn't a big deal in the summer because I'm outside all the time. In the winter, viewing the pond entails donning parka, boots and mitts,prying open the kitchen sliders,shovelling the snow and ice off the deck and sliding to the edge to even see the water.

So what?, you ask. And thanks for asking. I have to be sure the pump is blowing up air so that there will be a hole in the ice or the little varmints can't breathe and they're picky about that.

A power surge on the weekend killed off the pump but since I am a tad obsessive compulsive, I had a spare one on hand and installed it.

Anyway, I was thinking about the not-being-able-to-see-from-the-house problem and I had this epiphany.

I'd drive over to the Habitat for Humanity recycling store and find me an old closet door mirror and position it so I can see the water from inside where it's warm. That would also preclude the hand-wringing stage, wondering how the fish were doing.

Turns out I visited the store the day they only had really big mirrors but since I was there, I bought the cheapest one and lugged it into the car.

Now it's lashed to the garden arch and from the upstairs study window I can see a nice little geyser chugging away.

Did I mention the sight of the mirror is butt ugly?



Although you would require superhuman power to recognize it in the picture, the spouting water shows at the upper left corner of the glass.



Don't ask me what I plan to do when the mirrow is snowed over or turns to ice.

Unless anyone has a suggestion?