PKWS January 2014 Issue Editor: Carol Mathis PRESIDENTIAL PONDERINGS 2014 has crept up on us. I look back on 2013 and wonder where it went. It went by so quickly. As I think back, I reflect on the club and what we have accomplished in the past year. We had great meetings and a great time with friends. This was a year to learn about koi and other types of gardens. Our speakers this past year opened us up to new ideas. We did have some setbacks (members loosing fish) but all in all, we triumphed. Not only did we have some great meeting (and great food), but we had a successful pond tour. We gained several members along the way as well. Take a second and think back on the year in the club and reflect on your time. If you are like me, it brings a smile to my face. Well. Now on to 2014. This is another year and another chance for PKWS to thrive. We have several new ponds that we will be visiting for our monthly meetings. I am thankful to our new members who are hosting our monthly meetings at their ponds. This is a great opportunity to not only show off your pond, but to learn about other ponds as well. We do have the 2014 Charlotte Pond Tour scheduled for June 21 st. We have most of the ponds already set and several of our sponsors are set. We still need at least three sponsors in the South Charlotte, Pineville, Waxhaw, Ballantyne, and Weddington area. If you know of anyone who would like to sponsor the tour ($100 for an ad in the tour booklet), please let me know. I am looking forward to 2014 and I hope you are as well. Brannon Raines
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 2 PKWS 2014 OFFICERS President: Brannon Raines 704-576-9479 VP: Terry McClain 704-553-2556 Secretary: Mary Ann Penix 704-545-5867 Treasurer: Cecelia Smith 704-365-3803 APPOINTED OFFICES: Membership: Cecelia Pritchett Property Manager: Leo Bollinger 704-455-8587 Newsletter: Carol Mathis 704-455-8587 Webmaster: Brannon Raines JANUARY SOCIAL MEETING Saturday, January 9 at 5:00 p.m. Captain s Galley 11032 E. Independence Blvd Matthews, NC 28105 Telephone: 704-847-2285 Directions drive out Hwy 74 towards Monroe, restaurant will be on right before I485 interchange.
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 3 2014 MEMBERSHIP ARE NOW DUE If you have not done so already, please remit your 2014 renewal membership which are due in January to: Cecelia Smith 11079 Caroline Acres Road Ft Mill, SC 29707. NEW 2014 SOCIAL CALENDAR January Captains Galley February restaurant Suggestions welcome March Kenneth and Carlotta Powell April Eleanor Ubry Plant divide/swap. Meeting will start at 2 PM May Myles and Mary Martha Weiner June Jeff Reiter July Carl and Lauri Fetzer August Leo and Carol September Don and Mary Ann Penix October Larry and Phyllis Rosen November Jon and Kathy Rankin December Wayne and Cecelia
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 4 PIEDMONT KOI AND WATER GARDEN SOCIETY Minutes of December 7, 2013 The December meeting of the PKWS was held at the home of Wayne Pritchett and Cecelia Smith. There were twenty-three members present. President Raines opened the short business meeting at 7:00 P.M. Old Business: The pond tour for 2014 is being planned. Some sponsors have already been obtained. The tentative date will be July 24, 2014. There will be approximately 8-10 ponds on tour. Business cards are available from Brannon. The January meeting will be held at Captain s Galley at 5:30 P.M. Motion to adjourn by Leo Bollinger. Seconded by Larry Rosen. Motion passed. Meeting adjourned at 7:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted, Mary Ann Penix, Secretary
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 5 At the Christmas Party several requested the McClain s recipe for their Sausage Dip. Here it is: Sausage Dip 2# Velveeta Cheese 1# Velveeta Mexican Cheese 1# Lean Ground Beef 1# Neeces Hot Sausage 1 Medium Onion Chopped Fine 1 16oz Jar Medium Salsa Brown ground beef and sausage drain well and set aside. Cut cheese into chunks and add to crock pot (high setting). If you cannot find Velveeta Mexican Cheese don t fret. Use an additional LB of regular Velveeta. After cheese has started to melt add remaining ingredients and mix. Let simmer and mix occasionally. Adjust thickness with water, if necessary. Cayenne pepper will kick the spiciness up a notch if deit sired. It is best to start about 3 hours before needed Feeding in cold water Fish will feel 'hungry' in cold water, even down to the mid forties however the enzymes needed for the digestion of most Koi food will be lacking. The fish will eat, sometimes fully, and then languor in the cold water as their metabolism slogs the food through. In very cold water, fish simply don't eat. If the food is going to be processed by "cold" fish with impaired metabolism, it has made sense to most people to offer foods which are easily and quickly digestible and which contain minimal residue to stall the gut. Over the years, soluble plant proteins like wheat germ were found to be effective, and so were Cheerios. Fish love Cheerios, especially the Honey Nut Cheerios. Try it, you will see they go for the darker, tastier(?) Honey Nut Cheerios over the plain ones. And they can tell when you buy generic Cheerios. But it's okay.
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 6 The point of Cheerios is that they supply some useful energy, with minimal nitrogen to strain a cold biological filtration system, and the fish like 'em. A lot. In my own pond, I've noticed that Cheerios are sort of fattening when offered with regular food year round, so if you want to put some weight on a big female fish, especially through her face, give her some Cheerios with her regular diet through the year. In cold water I recommend that you: 1. Reduce feeding drastically in water under 70 but above 64 Fahrenheit. Feed sparingly once per day or every other day. Watch for elevations in Ammonia because of a stalled bio filtration. 2. Feed Cheerios once, every other day in water under 64 but above 53 DF. 3. Stop feeding when water temps are consistently under 55-53 DF 4. Resume feeding Cheerios in the Spring when water temps are consistently at or above 55-53 DF. PIEDMONT KOI and WATERGARDEN Society October 2013 Financial Statement Income Beginning Balance $ 12,610.78 2014 Dues Received(8) $192.00 Expenses Total $192.00 Total Ending Balance $ 12,802.78
PKWS January 2014 Issue Page 7 PKWS M E M B E R S H I P F O R M The Piedmont Koi and Watergarden Society (PKWS) is a not for profit organization. The membership year runs from January 1st through December 31st. Annual Membership Dues for a family for the first year is $55.00 AND INCLUDES UP TO TWO (2) NAME BADGES. Additional nametags may be purchased at a cost of $15.00 each. For renewing members the dues are $24.00 Please complete the following form and return it with your membership dues to: Cecelia Smith, 11079 Caroline Acres Rd, Ft Mill, SC 29707 Please print clearly (this information will only be used for club records). Please print your names) as you would like them to appear on your name tag(s). You can also find an electronic copy of this form on our website. Name(Last): (First) Address: City: State: Zip: Signature: Date: Email Address: Telephone # Membership Dues: (New member) $55.00 or (Renewal) $24.00(Circle One) Additional Name tags ($15.00) TOTAL ENCLOSED: Visit us on the web at www.charlottekoiclub.com