I apologize for being behind. I sort of feel like I'm running in place, you know? So thank you all for being patient and commenting on my stuff--I appreciate it. In any case, for my first post, I thought I'd just write some general observations about the pond on Chatham's campus, as I'm trying to pretend I've never seen it before. So: the pond itself is probably ten or twelve feet wide, or that could be totally off because I'm not very good at judging distance. In any case, it's not that large, and not that deep, because I can see the fish at the bottom when it isn't frozen, which, currently, most of it is.
The bit that isn't frozen is around the fountain, which is on the far side of the pond. I've always had mixed feelings about the fountain. It doesn't even really look like a fountain. It's just a pipe spitting water in an arc. And I understand that the pipe-fountain keeps the water in the pond moving, or else it would turn into a mosquito-laden cesspool, which is why it spits water every day, all day. But to be honest, it sounds like someone is taking a perpetual piss into the pond, and it's sort of distracting.
Rumor has it that throwing people into the pond used to be some kind of freshman hazing ritual. I don't doubt it, but I've never experienced that, and I've never thrown anyone into it (not for lack of want; self-control is sometimes a good thing). A few people and I did put a fake body in it on Halloween of my junior year--the koi fish were probably terrified. It scared a few people, but ultimately it was a dud of a prank, as it was removed by some guy who thought it was a Halloween decoration that fell out of a tree.
Speaking of the koi fish, I've never been able to tell if they're the only kinds of fish in there, which I guess doesn't matter much because I'm crap at identifying animals. What's hitting me now is the absence of all the animals: I can't see the fish under the ice, and there are no ducks, squirrels, or birds. I understand the ducks and the birds not being around, but the squirrels are usually trying to freak me out by seeing how close they can get to me before I move. I swear that they spot me and do it on purpose: there have been a few times on this campus where they've jumped out of garbage cans when I've walked by. I'm not afraid of them generally, but sometimes they get really close and they're all twitchy and their eyes are just black and I get scared, okay? Okay? They have claws.
There are a few trees and bushes next to the pond, but they've lost their leaves and look sort of sad, like they're embarrassed you're seeing them naked (or maybe it's because they have to listen to that fountain all the time). The one tree, though, I can't even get my arms around--it's massive and its roots bubble up through the ground. That tree is not embarrassed. It's next to the small bench that I'm writing from. I have no idea what kind of tree it is, but I commend it for having survived hundreds of Pittsburgh winters, stark naked.
I actually love the pond, and I do a lot of work by it, or sometimes I just sit and enjoy it. I'm looking forward to getting to know it better and connecting with it, and seeing how it changes from week to week as we move toward spring.
