So here are the promised pond pictures:







That one's a little fuzzy because it was taken through the screen, out one of the windows in my room. But you can see the fish schooling, and you can see the rocks along the shallow ledge. (The pond isn't done, obviously; when it is, you won't see that black plastic at all.)

Here's a (contrasty) view of the whole thing,so you get a sense of the size and shape.







Everybody likes the pond.







Here's the view out my window, with a pretty good glimpse of the pond plant that's flowering:







And there's the greenhouse, and the ill-tended garden beds beyond . . . The yard still looks pretty rough, but it's definitely coming along. This year, we're concentrating on perennials.

Like strawberries.







Here's today's harvest, about 30 seconds before I ate them:







And here is my first picture of Pavel.







Really, how could we resist?