Koi Story

The USA Today has reported in ...

Global warming raises water shortage risks in one-third of U.S. counties

that global warming will raise the water shortage risk for 1 out of 3 of US counties. Combine that with the 30,000 additional homes built here the past 10 years and Lake County is on a one way track to being stranded high & dry.

Luckily, as reported in this blog ...

Water Pipe Dreams

that one way track stops at the water pipe to be built, like a BP well, directly into Lake Michigan. Hundreds of bankrupt home builders may have abandoned Lake County faster than an EPA-Superfund mining town, leaving in their wake deforested subdivisions of dessicated lawns and dust-filled pools -- but fret not, operatives. Once that spigot to Lake Michigan is turned on, every financially under-water home may at least be a literally under-water home.

To celebrate this waterfall windfall, Lake County has just dedicated the world's largest publicly owned koi pond. As reported by the Lake County Journal ...

Teen catches koi fish in Grays Lake

... you're invited to Grays Lake, get your photo in the Guinness Book of Records, and do whatever it is people do with their koi ponds. Still guaranteed 100% Asian carp free.

All of which brings to mind a fish-tale sized squall related to your LakeCountyEye a few years ago. Back in the day, a local police chief (who will not be named) was summoned at 3am to the backyard of a distressed homeowner. "All the koi were stolen!" said the owner, pointing to his empty koi pond. "Can't someone leave their home for vacation and not expect all their stuff to be ripped off! What do I pay taxes for?!"

The chief wrote down all the details and the next day called the homeowner. "We have your perp -- you'll have to pick him out of a lineup."

An hour later the chief led the homeowner to the lineup room. Inside, standing under the spotlight, were about a half dozen great blue herons. After a few minutes of silence the chief said, "Now don't you think you owe me an apology?" The homeowner replied, "Apology? Why do I owe you an apology? I have no egrets!"

True story.