It wasn’t really a huge surprise. As many people know, I spend a fair amount of time at Ponhook Lake. Okay… maybe ever spare minute, but it’s a good amount of time. On Sunday morning, as I was getting out of my boat after (surprise) doing a little bass fishing, I spotted something in the water. There was something in the water that was the most wonderful shade of electric green I have ever seen in nature. In fact, it was a colour I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. At least naturally.
I had a pretty good idea of what it might be, since the stuff has been a bit of an issue around the area through the summer. It had already hit Fancy Lake and Blysteiner Lake and a few others in the area. Yesterday, Ponhook made the list of lakes with blue-green algae.
Right on the government website where they list such things, it says “If you think you see blue-green algae, don’t touch it, swim or play in it, or drink the water.” It can make people sick, and be very harmful, even fatal, to pets. Staying away seems like a very good idea.
I was hoping my dog hadn’t managed to consume much, is any at all. But the lake is her favourite water dish. In fact, if you were to list her water dishes in order of her favourites, it would probably be the lake, a few small puddles and streams that dried up long ago, the toilet (which I have never been able to figure out) and then might come her actual water dish. I try very hard to keep her water dish filled with clean water. She’ll ignore it and head for the lake. Or the toilet, which also happens to contain lake water.
On the other hand, I have been fairly conscientious about keeping lake water out of my mouth. I think that happened a few years ago, around the time of my second run in with giardia. Giardia is a parasite that can be spread in many ways, one of which is beavers. If you get infected they may even say you have beaver fever. Beaver fever is not as much fun as you may imagine. In fact, it is no fun at all. Which is why I try hard to avoid it.
The dog is not so conscientious about not ingesting lake water. She just laps the stuff up. Now I have to make sure I keep her away from her favourite water dish. That might be fun.
