Did you feel it this morning? That slight breeze as you crossed the parking lot on your way into work? We did, and we’re loving it. The sweltering summer heat is beginning to show signs of giving way to cooler autumn air. That means it’s time to step out of the air-conditioning and enjoy the scenery that is found right in our own backyards. Just in time for one of the season’s first cool fronts, the Deep South Koi and Pond Society is sponsoring an early fall Tour of Ponds this Sunday, September 22, from 1 to 5 p.m. This tour is free to the public and will feature a total of seven ponds located in Baton Rouge, Baker, Denham Springs and Prairieville. Along the tour, pond owners will be offering pond and fish keeping tips, while also answering visitors’ questions about the outdoor pastime.

Danna Sue Spayde, host of the one of the featured ponds, describes the unintended creation of her 2,000-gallon water feature. After Hurricane Gustav, her front yard was left with a “gaping hole” when the winds blew down her 200-year-old elm tree. Creating something beautiful out of the situation, Spayde’s daughter turned the crater into a pond that now houses standard and butterfly koi, goldfish, scavenger fish and gambusia minnows.

The featured ponds range in size from 500-gallon courtyard ponds to 5,000-gallon pounds. There will also be various pond styles, including the 800-gallon “pond in a can” water garden. Aside from fish, some ponds will also exhibit waterlilies blooming in many colors and other plant life.

The goal of the tour is to encourage locals to participate in the outdoor hobby of enjoying backyard ponds, koi keeping and water gardening. The tour will also include two special features: a raffle and a special membership offer to those who join the society during the tour. The membership will last through the balance of 2019 to December 2020. For more information about the society and about the Tour of Ponds, visit the event page here.