AS MY BUSINESS WAS GROWING AND WE WERE NOW INVOLVED IN LANDSCAPING, HARDSCAPES, RETAIL NURSERY,, CHEMICALS, IRRIGATION, AND MORE.It WAS BECOMING OBVIOUS THAT WE MUST BE DOING A FAIRLY GOOD JOB, BECAUSE MANY OF OUR CLIENTS WERE NOT jUST WANTING US TO DO a couple things they wanted us to do everything.
Many commercial clients wanted a one company for everything and Me being a person that had a hard time saying no,.We began offering the entire gamut of outdoor landscaping and maintenance. Good Idea or bad, it was the direction we went so I found myself hiring good people from other companies to help to keep our quality high and our prices the same. I was never known as the cheap guy in town. If our service was above the rest. Then our prices would match it. Very smart successful businessmen I was confident in asking would always tell me to be patient , but by God make a profit on all you do, say no to the jobs that wanted you to match the price of others. They will always call you back. And usually a year later they would.
There were two areas of landscaping that rose well above all else. At least in my passion in wanting to do them and become the best at them. Synthetic turf and Aquatics.. 20 years after beginning to install turf. I knew we had a winner and began a plan to do something very very rare. The other AREA WAS Water Gardens and Aquatics.
From building a simple watergarden of bubbler in a backyard. For $3000 to installing waterfalls into a lake using the perfected snorkel-centipede filtering method for large pumps and 300 foot long meandering streams.$230,000 or 30’ waterfalls using 10s of thousands of gallons per hour pump. Even how to convert your water fall into a 150’ EDPM rubber hydroslide Into a lake with synthetic turf as your bottom.. Sorry I digress.. This was the brainchild that when completing my first watergarden and seeing the waterfall off of the rocks after plugging the pump in. I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life, to a point. I’ll never forget when I got home that day and my wife Tammy saw me come through the door. I guess I had the look on my face that read, OMG
“John, Are you OK?” she could tell I was starry eyed. Oh Yeah, I’m fine. But Now I know….. What I’m going to do for the Rest Of My Life.
Along with the design and installation of ponds, and all that went with them, It seemed the whole country was wanting one. The magazines were everywhere showing the perfect pond. And the beautiful Nishikigoi {jewels of the pond) Yes It was these amazing fish that Also sucked me in. Koi as they were known. The barbed carp that were making their way from Japan And China, these 13 families of fish that were not only beautiful. But, it could be very very expensive, if you were impatient.. Yes, not only were people spending thousands of dollars on their ponds, they were also filling them with thousands of dollars of fish. Some were spending $10,000 or more for a 16” Kohaku because well if I have enough money why not. And Just like the Westminster dog show they were taking them around the country to compete against other fish lovers who had more money then cents. Or at least that was the running opinion. This may have been the closest time I had ever rubbed elbows with some of the rich elite people in the midwest who were absolutely batty about their pond pets.
So somehow I was honored by being one of the people who was part of the Judging and transfer group during the tournament to see who would be crowned as the best of show. So imagine many many plastic round containers with different families of fish of different sizes. The To three families at the time in the midwest were. Kohakus, White and red fish, Sanake. Red with white and black, or Showas Black and white and Red|orange.. The difference between the two was one was a white fish with red and black, the other was a black fish with white and red. Confused, it gets better.
So during the event I would follow 3 Japanese judges around to each pond. And they would then pick the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place fish. The judging was complicated, You would have to understand what it was that made these fish so immaculately attractive. The shape , conformation of the body, brilliance of the colors, the defining edges, between each separation of color ,.etc. But basically you knew a pretty koi when you saw it. And as the spectators all followed the judges, some actually followed me. The youngest in the crowd that got to carry the 3rd place to the next level of judging.
So imagine you have paid $10,000 for a brilliant looking Kohaku and you have flown across the United States from California to compete with hundreds of other Kohakus to first win the class ( Family) , then possibly be able to compete best of show in the 13 family competition.
But unfortunately the oxygen levels during the trip were not sufficient and in front of many people you are having to try to float your fish in an attempt to bring it back to life. And moments later. Your fish is gone. This was just one of a few unfortunate occurrences that was happening in Louisville that day, that I witnessed and remembered. In the koi business, and yes we did sell our share of Koi (not for $10,000 though) I saw people who had just enough money to buy an expensive Toncho( RED spot on head) get it home to introduce to their pond, only to come out the next morning to see a dead piece of sushi. They then got the honor of telling their wife they had spent more on this fish than their monthly house payment and she wasn’t even aware he was buying one .By the way most Koi were given a 24 hour warranty. Because we had no Idea if the pond transition and quality of water at your pond was healthy. So this is why they give away alcohol as part of the marketing scheme. Yes, well not long after, Fred and Wilma (not their real names) did get a divorce soon after, and as Dave Ramsey would say . Money fights and money problems do give a lot of divorce lawyers a steady income.
And now add to these issues, the introduction of Koi to the American dream and we can again add to the lunacy of where we spend our money. But what in the hell does this have to do with eggs you ask?. Around this time there were articles from the far east that were educating pond and Koi lovers about the history of koi, how long they can live and why they were special to the eastern quarter of our world.. How some of the most beautiful koi alive had more value than more than 85% of the world’s population. Or put another way: You can have my fish but it will cost you a million dollars. Like countless times in world history an Idea, or item, or investment or you name it, becomes so popular, so attractive, that people need one and will pay way too much because they have not researched it enough to make a wise decision.
So in the early nineties, I may not know how to pronounce the name of the fish in my pond, but my Kohaku, I will love to tell you I spent $4000 for it. But I have no Idea, the municipal water department just added Chloramines to my water system. As many many pond owners were awakened to the screams of their children that all their pet koi are now floating as very expensive fertilizer. OUCH.
And this is why the day became a frenzy as I recall.
So after many hours and drinks were consumed in this beautiful backyard. We were now about to judge the best of the best , best of show, the grand champion, the bragging right of some excited couple who could go home with Fipper and tell all their world we Won. the most beautiful koi from 13 families of fish.
Kohaku, Tiasho Sanke.. Showa, Tancho…Utsuri ,Bekko, Asagi…Shusui…Koromo…Goshiki…Kawarimono Hikari Muji Hikari Moyo…
But just before the judges got to the pool, there was a.disturbance. The water with many fish was churning, and for many familiar with this sight , it was obvious these jewels of the Nile were starting to have Sex.. PI, fourplay.. Lustful intentions…an Orgy,..a fish of swingers delight……. Ok, simply ,… they were starting to SPAWN….. Eggs were being released, by the female. (how to tell the difference)
The males were literally on top of the females. (but it is not considered a missionary position). But as I had seen in many koi ponds it was an amazing sight because it is a freaking free for all. And there were times that the females were so aggressively chased and fatigued by the males that later they did die due to overexertion. (did not happen today though)
Yes, people in front of
God and Everybody we were all witnessing that biggest Koi orgy and fertilization this town had ever seen. And as it was happening I began to imagine exactly what was going to happen next. Because I know numbers and I know human reaction and I know how women and men react to each other when endorphins are on the line,
And as I sat back with a smile that could reach Evansville. I watched one of the best fish dramas I had ever seen.
SO NOW..
WHO GETS THE EGGS?
Not just any eggs, these were fertilized eggs of some of the best fish in the country. And their offspring could be some of the most beautifu;l fish ever. Realize that in the koi market. If there were a billion koi, the probability that yours was truly worth $50,000. Was extremely rare. Not that someone couldn’t convince you that his $4,000 fish was worth 50K and that much and after a few drinks you thought what the hell and handed him a check for what I bought my first house with.knowing you would BARELY get a 24 hour warranty on its survival.
But floating around the pond now were some very valuable assets. But who gets them with hundreds of people in attendance? The language would become a little tense. And as the 3rd place bag boy, I was right smack in the middle wishing I had a recorder.
The owners of the female fish demanded they should get them. It’s their eggs, and their poor females were aghast , tired, beaten and so exhausted some felt they may perish. Possible. However the owners of the male fish, who many were enjoying the moment, addressed the judges that without their males these eggs would have never appeared, for it was the chemicals in the males that started the laying frenzy spawn is a two way street they exclaimed.
Had the men not chased the women and the women had not exerted their passion to leave the men behind then their behinds would have never experienced the pleasures of that fabio looking Toncho that started the orgy to begin with, (PLease if you are under 16, and any of these words are confusing, (go immediately to your parents and start studying “ The the joys of Spawning”.)
So as the comments became more and more enriching and everyone in the crowd was voicing their opinion. I realized psychologically this was an extremely rare event. Because actually both sides were right,just like human nature. It was once again girls against the guys because the guys swimming against the girls is what started this whole thing ..YKMTSU You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.
So as I remember the organizers of the event started asking the well versed Judges what they should do. We felt that this could not have been the first time this has ever happened. This was not a one in a million, right? And there were even spectators and others who had brought fish to the tourney who felt that they too deserve a share in the riches. As they all began to figure out how they may get their baggie of eggs home they pondered…. Pun intended, what to do next. (JOHN FIND OUT FOR SURE.]]
So finally the decision was made that the CREATORS should have control of this world.
There would have never been a romantic moment of strangers in the night where young and old love could share in front of the eyes of many a love story so profound, that fish and fishermen could witness and partake in the greatest fish story since Jones and the Whale.(just ask me).
Had we not had this event we would not be having this discussion.
The creator how profound will get the last say and for the last of the eggs. So now shut your pie holes and lets see who is truly the best fish on the the block
Since, mumbling, whispers, condemnation, disagreeable tears. Was this fair, was this right, was this truly the greatest fish story since Jonah and the whale. Some would disagree.
But this was the verdict as I remember.
.
Interestingly the Greater Louisville Koi and Goldfish Society are having their 28th Annual show Memorial day weekend May 23-25th. I think all check it out.
To be continued…
John M Schroeder.