I should have posted a week ago, but I got so caught up with excitement over seeing my family again that I just put off updating my blog for longer than I intended.  Furthermore, we celebrated my dad’s 26th birthday last October 25th, so BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PAPI!

Last weekend was a rather eventful, as there two Koi shows (Bakersfield and San Antonio) and the Kentucky Mud Pond Pull were slated to occur then.  It was rather difficult choosing which event to attend, but at the end of the day geography won the battle and we decided to attend the Bakersfield Koi Show.  Besides, I had been away from California so long, I was anxious to soak up the California sun!

I had just arrived from Minnesota on Thursday and while we intended to leave in the early morning on Friday, there was just too much going on that it wasn’t till after lunch when we got on the road.  Devin called me that morning and asked me if I knew the latest on Steve Childers, who was supposed to catch a plane to join us in Bakersfield as a third judge.  Unfortunately, Steve ran into some automobile issues and was unable to catch the plane out to California (and my dad was so looking forward to sharing a beer/sake with him!)

Bakersfield is one of our favorite places to go: everyone is so friendly, the food is wonderful and the hospitality is amazing.  Papa and I rolled in on Friday at around 4 or 5 (or was it 6?), just in time to catch everyone at the Show Site getting ready to leave (at least we caught them!).  The show this year was significantly better as the show site was three times the lot size that it was in the previous two years as the county fair organizers had given them a much bigger space.  We were greeted at the show site by Show Chairman Ron Unruh  and our local TOMiGAi Dealer Mike Przewoznik of Sumner Avenue Water Gardens.  We were later joined by William Williams, Bart Thompson, Grant Fujita, Jim Phillips, Don and Brenda Chandler, Barb and John Flowers who was running the Koi Show Database and Todd (please forgive me, the last name escapes me).  Malise Unruh later showed up with our room keys (a.k.a. Steve’s room keys…Thanks, Steve!) and the wonderful news that I have been looking forward to all day: Basque food at the judge’s meet and greet!

There really is no way to describe Basque food except this: all-around goodness.  It was such a lovely dinner where everyone came out to talk Koi and meet our well-respected judges: Mr. Junichi Kayano and Head Judge Mr. Grant Fujita.  Incidentally, my father and Grant have one very important thing in common: they both have lovely daughters by the name of Mikki (or is it Miki for Grant?)!  After dinner, we all headed out to the hotel bar to get a few cocktails before turning in and calling it a night.

The next day was just absolutely perfect.  We arrived at the show site and were greeted by the Koi Kichi father-son tandem of Roger and Andrew Spradlin who were assisting the judges during the show.  Last year we saw some Kohaku tosai that Andrew had bred and offered to the club for grow out fish.  This year was the culmination of the grow out as the judges would not only be judging the Koi Show, but the grow out fishes as well.  As Papa and I walked over to his tank to see his now-nisai Koi, we were quite impressed with the turn out.  Not only did they grow, but their skin was just shining.  We both agreed that Roger and Andrew had hit the oyagoi lottery as it was quite rare to have such a good turn out on a single spawn.  (a video interview of their process was taken last year and will be uploaded in the near future.)

Every year the Bakersfield Koi show just keeps getting better: the Flowers’ once again did an excellent job documenting and entering the Koi in their database, and Jim kept the water in the best possible condition. And how can we forget the wonderful work of the Unruhs who always strive to make their show better and better.  It is rather amusing to think that only a short time ago Ron unwittingly attended a Koi club meeting with Malise as the supportive husband and now is a completely certified Koi Kichi himself, and running a Koi Show at that!

Judging commenced and completed and the Grand Champion was:

They also won:

CONGRATULATIONS, Roger and Ginger!!  Beautiful Koi!

(For more photos from the Bakersfield Koi Show, Please click Here.)

During the banquet, we had the privilege of sitting with Michael and his wife as well as Roger, Ginger and Andrew Spradlin.  Koi talk is, as always, inevitable, and we started talking about Roger’s winning streak.  They say everything starts and ends with Kohakus and in Roger’s case, this is especially true as he has won Six Grand Champion trophies with six different Koi: all of which are Kohakus.  Roger’s love affair with aquaculture began before I was born, and it seems that he has passed down his hobby not only to his son, but his grandson, Micah as well.   Speaking of grandchildren, The Spradlins had much to celebrate that weekend as it was not only a weekend of trophies, but of grandchildren as well! Andrew’s wife, Kelsey, had just given birth to a beautiful baby girl! Congratulations to Andrew and Kelsey Spradlin!

On the last day of the show, there was only one more thing that we had to take care of.  My father and I had been talking to Andrew and Ron, and we thought it would be a fun exercise to hold a judging competition with the Kohakus that Andrew had bred.  Five Koi would be selected and judged by the club members and Mr. Junichi Kayano would rank the Koi accordingly.  The winner of the judging competition (the person who was able to order the Koi appropriately) would be getting a box of TOMiGAi Tategoi. Don Chandler won the competition, getting two of the five koi correctly while also properly naming the best Koi and runner up was Sing from Fresno, who will be receiving a box of TOMiGAi Spirulina.  Congratulations!

Moving over to the east, and onto the San Antonio Show ANOTHER couple won both Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion, respectively:

And….:

Jason took a clean sweep in Texas, as he had not only won in San Antonio, but he also took the title of Supreme Grand Champion in Dallas! Congratulations, Jason and May!  Your tireless efforts in promoting the Koi hobby is very admirable and we would like to thank you so much for believing in TOMiGAi and allowing us to be a part of your Koi  Journey.  We are very sorry that we weren’t able to join you this year, but we love Texas, so we are very much looking forward to joining you next year!

Further east in the Midwest, yet ANOTHER Koi event took place as the Kentucky Mud Pond was to be harvested, and I hear so many wonderful things about this harvest! I believe this is their fourth year, and we are equally grateful that Troy Head, along with Marc Skaggs, Chris Carter, Charles Phelps, Don Davis, Mike Pfeffer, Jeremy, and to all the Kentucky Mud Pond Hobbyists: thank you so much for believing in TOMiGAi!

The past weekend has been a very humbling and honoring experience.  We are so grateful to the hobbyists who have placed their faith and the fate of their Koi in our hands, and we feel blessed to be a part of their Koi experience.  Thank you so much to all the TOMiGAi Hobbyists for your unwavering faith and trust in our Product.  Thank you for not only being a TOMiGAi Hobbyist, but first and foremost; our friends.  We value your friendship above all and we look forward to our continuing Koi Journey together.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In any case, I will be flying back to California tomorrow-just in time to attend the Bakersfield Koi show this weekend.  Incidentally, it happens at the same weekend as the Texas Koi and Fancy Goldfish Society Koi show in Marion, Texas.  Sadly, we would not be able to make it this year, but we most certainly wish them the best of luck, and we are very sorry that we will not be there…

Devin will be headed to Japan in a few days (booo! I don’t get to come with!), so I thought I would give him a parting present.  Last week after the harvest, Devin decided he wanted to make a vlog.  I offered to help (read: do everything) in creating it, and today saw the completion of his first vlog entry!

In it, he talks about his take on the mudpond pull, his regimen and results.  An interesting note here is one both Devin and I have been talking about for some time, but only now have decided to broadcast to the entire world: Devin’s entry pays special attention to the effects and uses of Spirulina on the fish, and this topic is something quite close to his (and my) heart.  We hope everyone enjoys it!

Note: Video capture and editing is credited to Mikki Swanson.  Spoken material belongs entirely to speaker; in this case Devin Swanson. 

Congratulations to Tarheel Koi Farm for winning Grand Champion Longfin and Baby Grand Champion Longfin at the South Carolina Koi Show! 

(Photos may be viewed here.)

As many of you have already heard, Koi Acres hosted their maiden voyage onto the beautiful world of hosting their own Ikeage, and what a wonderful event it turned out to be.  The weather was absolutely and unseasonable perfect.  We couldn’t have asked for a better setting.  Many friends of Koi Acres and TOMiGAi Koi Food joined in on the festivities, including Bryan and Bay Bateman, the Korfs (Paul, Shawna and Kaitlin plus 1), Mike and Ron Weynschenk of Southwest Koi and Goldfish, Tony Geraldi, Cal Kostelyk, Shirley and Bruce from Green Bay, WI (I asked Devin what their last name was, and he did say it, but he also said, “don’t ask me to spell it”.  Like he is really a reliable source for spelling anything….just saying….), Nancy Goss (shoutout to Shirley and Nancy: I’m a little disappointed that you weren’t wearing heels for the “Debutante Ball”), Teddy Bair, Harvey Filister, Bill and Jan Doyle and Bob together with his wife and son from Chicago.  And what would a Koi Acres event be without an overflow of food? Thank you Big Ernie and Little Ernie for an amazing smogasboard of incredible grub!

a little flashback: Back in June when Koi Acres began putting in the fishes in the mudpond, Devin was aware that they would have a much shorter growing season than he would have wanted.  Unfortunately, circumstances didn’t allow for them to begin construction any sooner, so he decided to make do with what he got.  That being said, while he was confident that the Koi growth would turn out quite well, he wasn’t expecting to be stupefied with the results either.  [I speak on Devin's behalf because I am the better half! ;-P]  Regardless, he pressed on forward and did the best that he could in feeding (Shameless and certified Truthful Plug: Devin did feed exclusively and 100% TOMiGAi Koi Food to all the Mud Ponds) and monitoring the fishes on a regular basis.  While there have been tragedies and setbacks here and there, it most certainly was a setup for a greater comeback.

So the morning of Saturday arrived and we prepared to harvest pond 3, which was the pond that hosted the grow-out jumbo tosai that was purchased in the spring for growing out.  Everyone came out bright and early in eager anticipation of what was to take place.  At around 10 am, Devin began the ceremonies with the traditional blessing of the pond with sake and a toast to a fruitful harvest. Stylish styrofoam cups was passed around and sake was consequently poured in. “ii koi agarimashou!” was the battle cry as everyone raised their cups and took a shot.  (Devin was waaaayyyy too used to this as he noticeably gulped his down markedly faster than the rest of the group…fighting knots in his stomach, perhaps?) And the pull began.

I don’t know how everyone felt, but the suspense was absolutely KILLING me! I suppose I wasn’t alone as most people were entertaining themselves with the occasional banter towards Devin, Tony, Tayler (on the second day, Paul Korf joined in on the mud pond fun) and Mike who were in the pond pulling, and side comments about the resident frogs getting in the way.  Frog legs for dinner, anyone?

Finally the Koi were pulled to one side and the raising up of the fishes began.  Oh boy did it begin.  One after another, incredible fish after incredible fish, each other larger and more lusterous (is that a word? Spell check said it isn’t. Oh well, it is now!) than the last.  It was a harvest that would rival Japan.  Spectators could barely say more than, “ooooo” and “aaahhhh”, and quite frankly, I felt the same way.  Despite having barely four months to grow out, the Koi certainly didn’t show it. To top it all off, there was really no obvious sign of problems with the fish: no clamping of the fins, no skin problems, nothing.  They couldn’t be any healthier coming out of the mud than if they had stayed in the same concrete tank the entire time.

I tried getting comments and reactions from those present, but there was little that they could say that would rival the expression on their faces.  To be quite honest, I don’t think that even Devin himself expected the results that he got!  On that day, Bryan and Bay decided that their absolutely gorgeous Sanke, which was one of the largest of the Koi harvested, was to be named “Ms. Hernandez”.  They had wanted to name it Mike since it was my dad who had helped them decide to purchase her, but because she was such a beautiful lady, it would be unjust to name her a man’s name.

The rest of the first day was spend sizing and photographing fishes, with the largest growth coming in at 20 cm and the smallest growth at about 11 cm.  We all were beside ourselves with how successful the first day went.

But the Great Ikeage was only halfway done.  As the second day arrived, Devin was once again up at 5 am checking and making sure that everything was going to go smoothly.  We were to harvest the pond that played host to the Koi that Devin had bred in Japan while he was apprenticing at Marudo Koi Farm and some Omosako Shiro Utsuri that he had put along with a lone Marudo Kohaku in Pond 2.

Before we continue on to narrate the events of Day 2, I must deter for a quick second and send another round of…

Congratulations to Bryan and Bay Bateman for winning Mature Champion at the Ikona Show with Devin’s bred Showa!

They had purchased this Koi from him in the Spring and had aptly named it “Mikki” because (warning: cheeziness alert….and I love it!) it was “Devin’s”….Aw……I really love you guys!

Ok, Commercial’s over.

This pond was certainly one that Devin had low expectations for.  Before putting his fishes in there, they were showing little promise of becoming any better and I myself didn’t expect much more from them either.  We were both happily mistaken.  The results were once again beyond words.  While we could not expect every single fish to turn out, the ratio fishes that became more beautiful against the ones that lost color was staggering: 12 to 4. The bodies and growth on all the fishes, as well as the luster on their skin was incredible.  There was a particular Shiro Utsuri there that Devin could not take his eyes off: it had grown massive.

Another Showa that he thought was already losing its beni had become an exquisite Inazuma Showa that warranted him to exclaim explicits to the camera that I have every intention of using as blackmail!

[Note: This is a raw photo of the Showa.  Cropping and documentation of Koi Information has yet to be added.]

As the day drew to a close and hobbyists and friends alike began to pack up to return home, the workday was far from over for us as we began documenting and sorting out the fishes to different tanks as they would each be getting different diets.  Devin even got a rare video footage of me lifting fishes while he netted them and transferring them to the neighboring tank! (That will never see the light of the Internet!)

After everything was packed away and the tasks needed to be done dwindled to zero, Devin and I sat by the tanks with a couple of beers staring at the newly harvested fishes.  They couldn’t have looked happier and more beautiful than they were.  ”Your dad is a genius at making Koi Food.” was Devin’s remark to me.  ”You really think that this has a lot to do with the food? You aren’t just saying that because you’re married to me, are you?” was my curious response.  ”No.  Look at the fish. Just look at it.  I only got less than four months of growth on them and I even fed all the shiros with Spirulina! Look how beautiful they all are! TOMiGAi definitely had a lot to do with how beautiful the fishes turned out. I am so happy with how everything went.”  Kampai.

It was a weekend to remember, not only because it was the first annual Ikeage for Koi Acres, but also because of the great success of both Koi Acres and TOMiGAi Koi Food.  To Devin: Thank you so much for believing in TOMiGAi, and for all the hard work and love that you have for Koi. I am so lucky to be called your wife. To all the hobbyists and friends who came out for the event: Thank you for your faith, support, friendship and love to both our companies. To the Swansons: Thank you for always pushing and pursuing to achieve greater things in the Koi hobby. To my Papa, Mama and Kuya Tom: Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in this industry and to TOMiGAi.  I would never have discovered the love of Nishikigoi if not for your unwavering faith, passion and dedication. I feel so blessed to have you as family.

We have yet to complete all the photos and videos from the weekend’s event.  It has taken us some time to recover from such a great success!  For now, there are a few before and after photos posted already (click here to be redirected to Koi Acres Ikeage Gallery Page) Please check back periodically as we are working around the clock to complete the photo compilation courtesy of Michael Hernandez. Photos were taken by myself and Koi Photos were taken by Devin Swanson.

“I do have a bit of good news to share with you,” said Bill when I gave him a call. “At around lunchtime during the seminar, I got a call from the UK informing me that a fish that was purchased from us had just won Grand Champion at the Birmingham and West Midlands Koi Show.”  To which my response was….

CONGRATULATIONS, BILL! THAT’S FANTASTIC! THAT’S WONDERFUL! I’M SO EXCITED FOR PURDIN KOI FARM! *WOOT*WOOT*!

Well, not exactly quite like that…. I’m speaking to a proper English Gentleman, you know? *wink* But I was certainly that excited! My “lady sensibilities” told me to at least keep my voice down…

I was told that the Grand Champion is a Sanke, born in 2007 (which would make it a gosai) and was about 25″ or so (Naturally, Bill couldn’t be there to personally size the fish!).  I did a little bit of digging around and found a forum where they were discussing the show where it was published that the Grand Champion was about 66 cm, which makes it almost 26″ (Source: http://www.themtherekoyas.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=1568&p=22910, I hope this is alright with the moderators that i posted my source.)  It is currently owned by Mr. Tony Barker.  Congratulations to Mr. Tony Barker as well!

It seems that Purdin Koi Farm gets good growth on their fishes.  Bill mentioned that their largest fish at the moment is equal in size to their breeding stock, which is quite a feat in itself.  Purdin Koi Farm mainly breeds Gosanke, and have recently started breeding Shiro Utsuri and Goshiki.

So again, Congratulations to Purdin Koi Farm for not only having organized a wonderful event for the AKCA Judges Seminar, but for also pushing the Koi Industry forward with your Grand Champion win!

At the moment, I am writing from the guest room at Koi Acres, where the whole farm is abuzz with activities and last minute preparations for the Great Ike Age that is scheduled to begin tomorrow.  Everyone is quite excited and frankly, so am I!  Unfortunately, I will be the only representative from TOMiGAi present this weekend… My father and brother is totally going to miss out on all the fun! Oh well, they (along with everyone else who will be missing out on the fun) can read my blog and find out how everything went!

Och, I think I hear Devin nagging, I mean*calling* me….

Gotta Go!

October (up until the first few weeks of November) is probably the most exciting month for the Koi World. It is the time when Koi breeder begin harvesting their mud ponds to unveil the hidden gems tucked away for “beautifying”.  Now begins the series of highly anticipated Ike Age in Japan and around the world.

This year is particularly special for both TOMiGAi and the rest of the TOMiGAi Family.  In California, the mudponds of Ken Liu from Barstow Koi Farm will harvest Mystic Koi’s Grow Out Fish from their anniversary event. (I’m anxious to see Shawn McHenry in waders! ;-p) In Minnesota, Koi Acres will be concluding the first year of their mud ponds in less than a weeks’ time.  We at TOMiGAi are very excited and are highly anticipating these two events as both mudponds have been feed exclusively with TOMiGAi Koi Food.  What great pictures we will take!  I will definitely keep everyone posted on how the mud pond pull at Koi Acres’ will fare this weekend. I’m super psyched!

There was also a lot of activity in the American Koi World last week.  My dad, Michael Hernandez together with Certified ZNA Koi Judge and a great friend of the TOMiGAi Family, Dick Thomas, judged the South Carolina Koi Show.  I heard many great stories coming from this show, both from my father and from our local TOMiGAi Dealer Ron Stroud, that I feel it deserves its own post.  Also, there are photos I want to include in the story, so please keep posted in the next couple of days.

Another event that happened last weekend was the AKCA Judges Seminar, which took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at Purdin Koi Farm. I hear many good things about the Purdin Koi Farm Facilities, so I am certain that it turned out to be a fantastic event! Scott Purdin, Bill and Maureen McGurk are such wonderful people that it is hard to imagine that the event was anything short of a success….. Will keep everyone updated on that as soon as I find out the details!

Short post, I know… I am just super excited that OCTOBER IS HERE!

Also, more congratulations are in order; Congratulations to Dr. Jason Guevara and Dan Phillips!

A few days ago, Dan had told me about an interesting fish that he had sold.  Rarely do you hear of a single fish that has won Baby Grand Champion <em>and</em> Grand Champion in its lifetime… twice! This weekend was the second Grand Champion trophy for this beautiful Niigata (breeder unknown) Kohaku owned by Dr. Jason Guevara at the Carolina Classic Koi Show, where it had won a few years ago.  What got me really excited was that this Koi is actually a <em>Male!</em>  Who says only females can win Grand Champion (except in the All-Japan show )? I would love to see this fish in person one day!

So, moving on, the story of my life continues…

After Devin finished work in Door County, we had one last stop to make before heading home: the suburbs of Chicago to see Tina and Tony Geraldi.  I was rather excited since I had yet to see Tony’s pimped-out pond. We arrived just before dinner and managed to make it out to the backyard before we lost sunlight.  Just like he said, it truly was a 1500 gallon pond.  Hence, Devin and I dubbed it the runner up to the “little pond that could”.  But don’t let looks deceive you as his filtration system was not only suitable for a pond at least 10 times its size, but it has all the latest and most advanced gadgets and gizmos you can imagine.  On top of that, he had less than 5 fish in the pond (I usually don’t count how many fish are in a pond…someone once told me it was bad luck when I was young and whether it is true or not, I have this tendency to avoid counting), which helps a lot.  And did I mention their awesome house? They have an awesome house.  Really beautiful and very tastefully decorated.

Upon coming home, we were greeted with the numerous moving boxes that are still scattered on our living room floor. Thankfully we will be home for a few weeks-enough time, I hope, to make our humble abode actually <em>look</em> like an abode!  We are currently updating the koisandponds.com website, while still bringing the tomigai.com website up to date…. Thank you everyone for your patience!

Cheers!

For more information, please visit the Mid-Atlantic Website: www.makc.com

On to Door County we went, to complete and spray the pond of Nancy and Tom.   I later discovered that Door County is quite the tourist destination, and I can definitely see why. It is very beautiful up here with the fresh lake breeze continuously going through and surrounded by lush greenery and local, family-owned stores.  It feels like I’m on a working vacation, which is quite honestly one of my favorite kinds of vacations.  Getting a change of background while working just inspires more productivity.

Yes, this photo aptly reflects the creativity that goes into the process of Pond Building when Koi Acres is in the building. Guess what the inspiration was for the lovely piece of artwork….

Moving on now…

Nancy and Tom was so nice to invite the Koi Acres’ crew plus one TOMiGAi Trekker Team Member to their home for a traditional fish boil, which I quite honestly have never experienced before and it was definitely a treat!  Together with Shirley, Bruce, Lisa and Ken who are fellow Koi Kichi from Wisconsin, we all huddled around the large kettle, eager to experience the culinary expertise that Nancy’s father had passed on to her.

Despite not being able to use the traditional wood fire, the meal was nonetheless scrumptious.  Everything was homemade goodness coupled with excellent liquor, wonderful company and sophisticated conversation, I believe it was the absolute perfect night.  Aside from the perfectly boiled Whitefish meal, we had potatoes, onions, the best beans I have ever had, coleslaw and Nancy’s own Cherry Pie a la mode.  On top of that, we had quite the entertainment as Nancy’s dogs, ‘Maruq and Bagel were not to be ignored.

The night began to wore on and we all began to say our goodbyes. But there was one dilemma that had yet to be resolved: what to name Koi Acres’ Fall harvest? Shirley had suggested, “The Debutant Ball”, while Devin wanted something more traditional like, “Ike Age”.  Any suggestions, readers?

I know I posted on facebook that I meant to update this last night, but obviously I was unable to; and I have a very good reason. That reason is best encompassed in a single word: KARAOKE!!!!!! So Devin and I drive into , WI last night and pick up Mr. Mike Swanson (a.k.a. the Father-in-Law) for a late night dinner. We hoped to get in earlier, but rush hour coupled with road construction makes for a very poor combination. After checking into our hotel (Side Note for Football Fans: we are 2 miles from the legendary Lambeau Field. Quite surprising how residential areas surround the stadium-I’m certain there is not shortage of football fans living there), we headed out to find a place-any place-to grab a late night meal. Wouldn’t you know it, there was a Thai Restaurant (closed) attached to a Pub (open) that was serving bar food with Karaoke on the side! Naturally, I got all excited, but pretended not to mind where the boys decided to eat. “Wherever you wanna eat is fine with me” was my nonchalant statement. You would never guess where we ended up. (I give you three guesses and the first two don’t count.) Yeap: Karaoke bar! Devin and I were surprised at how there were quite a few good singers here, and I have to admit, it was kind of nice not having to wipe off the blood from your ears when you leave the bar. Naturally, despite having to make the boys wait half an hour longer than they were planning to stay, I got my karaoke number. Another “YIPEE!!” for me!

Another cause of delay was the sightseeing agenda that Devin had planned out and “claimed” to have told me. We ended up spending four more days in Virginia to take in all the sights Washington D.C. had to offer, and what an experience that was. Growing up, we were always aware of not just our own culture’s history, but we also got a little taste of world history; America included. That being said, because there was such a broad range of histories that was to be learned, we only studied the general overview of everything. Visiting the Smithsonian, seeing the original American Flag, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument, and the World War II Monument for my own eyes helps make you realize the true significance of everything I read about in books. The historical significance was further highlighted by the fact that this weekend marked the tenth year anniversary of the monumental events in New York City. 9-11 is a date that will forever be engrained in everyone’s hearts and minds throughout the world.

When Devin arrived in Virginia, he called to let me know how the whole area was completely flooded by the recent hurricane that had gone through. (Yes, he called me. Don’t ask why we weren’t there together. Bottomline: I arrived the next morning.) Upon landing at the Regan National Airport, I had my first taste of taking a train in the United States, and I was pleasantly surprised at how convenient the Metro System was. When I arrived at the show site, I was greeted by many familiar and friendly faces, and once again I saw the spirit of Friendship through Koi shine through. Dale and Patti Gingerich was there to assist in benching and computer work (Side Note: Dale looks absolutely fantastic! I almost didn’t recognize him with the amount of weight he lost!) The ever-supportive Charles and Carolyn Phelps were also there to assist both in benching and in judging. Phil Gray and David Hicks also joined in to help in the benching of the many fishes along with Scott Kendall, accompanied by his wife Joni. Incidentally, Joni supplied us with sustenance in the form of wonderfully gooey and crunchy chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies. Yummy! It was a wonderful surprise to see Art and Nicole Lembke, and I am only sorry that I was unable to spend more time with them. I also ran into Dennis Longenecker and saw his Koi, named Minami, who has grown quite bit since I last saw her: both in length, girth and skin quality.

One of the members of our TOMiGAi Dealer family is Dan Phillips, whose first time to attend the show as a vendor happened to be that weekend, and might I say he did a fantastic job. Not only did he sell out completely of all the Koi that he brought in, it was also through his booth that I met a few fellow Filipinos who lived in the area. Needless to say, we were quite happy to see a countryman so far from home and on an occasion not typically what you would call a “meeting place” of Filipinos. Thank you very much to Joseph and Beth for the friendship and support that you showed TOMiGAi and our dealers.

Jim North did a fantastic job once again this year as the Show Chairman, and TOMiGAi would like to thank him for allowing us to be such a significant part of the show this year. Last year, Jim and I were having a conversation about how they would like their show site to look more professional by upgrading their splash guards. He invited us to perhaps sponsor this, which TOMiGAi was happy to do, and thanks to the wonderful work my father does in creating beautiful designs, we were able to come up with a suitable output.

Don’t they look fantastic?

Another hobbyist that I must make mention of once again is , of whom I wrote about in the previous years’ TOMiGAi Hobbyist. Last year he brought quite impressive fishes, which he raised himself in his “little that could” (read about it here). With most people, bringing their fishes to show stresses their Koi out because of the constricted space and absent filtration; for Turelle, however, bringing his fishes out to show is like bringing them out to vacation! However, Turelle has managed to upgrade his facilities so that he now has not a “little pond that could” but “little pondS that could.” It comes at a price, however, and that was at the section of the deck that his wife once claimed to be hers. Luckily, she has been bit by the Koi bug herself.

Incidentally, there were a couple of birthdays celebrated that weekend, that being said, Belated Happy Birthday to Jim North and Pamela Holmes! Only the true Koi Kichi would voluntarily spend their special day putting up, participating in, and tearing down a Koi Show.

The wonderful Mike Frady similarly did a wonderful job this year not only as the Club President but also as a participant at the show. That being said….

Congratulations, Mike Frady!

He won at the Louisville Koi Show with a beautiful Momotaro Sanke he named “Mimi”, and she reigned supreme once more at the ZNA Potomac Show claiming the Grand Champion Trophy. (A complete list of Show winners will be uploaded soon.) The show had an impressive roster of judges who did an excellent job, headed by the wonderful Dick Thomas together with Alan Stein, Robert Johnson, Charles Phelps, Gary Chin and John Sprinkle.

The total number of Koi at the show this year was 216. 2-1-6. Very special number. That was the exact same number of Koi that was entered last year. I’m taking those numbers and betting on the lottery now!

Devin Swanson of Koi Acres gave a talk this weekend about his life in Japan as an American, and although I might have heard it quite a number of times both formally and informally over dinner, a cup of coffee or just through the course of regular conversation throughout the day, I never seem to get tired of it. It was such a special experience and I feel lucky to be married to someone who has gone through so much at such a young age.

I’m looking forward to posting my father’s photo journal of his experience at the Washington State show, which he had judged that same weekend. I heard many wonderful things about that show and just like you, I am looking forward to see the pictures, which is coming very soon, so stay tuned!

Domestic tales aside, we are all excited for the upcoming weeks as so many Koi shows are happening all over the place all at the same time! Tonight, Devin and I are packing up to head out to Washington Dulles airport for the ZNA Potomac show this weekend, while my father is packing up his suit as he is going to be a judge at the Koi show in Seattle, Washington. Thank you very much to the members of the Washington Koi and Water Garden Society for inviting a member of the TOMiGAi Trekker Team to judge once again at your show. It is an honor that we truly appreciate and anticipate!

How ironic that both “Washingtons” have their Koi shows at the same time. So Papa is headed for “Washington State” and I’m headed out to Washington, D.C… Exciting! I’ll be sure to update everyone on the going-ons in the shows. Perhaps I can get my dad to write about the Seattle Koi show as well?? (*hint*hint*). In any case, with or without a literary account of what happens in Seattle, I’m am certain without a doubt that Papa will have a much better photo journal than I…

On another note, I would like to thank Mark Gardner for mention of the updates to the TOMiGAi Website on his blog (Click here to visit it.) It is one of the most comprehensive and informative blogs about Koi around the world that is currently active, and I strongly urge visitors to view it.

Today, I received an interesting phone call from my friend, Cathy Knowles, of New England Koi. She was telling me about the new “voice playback” system that they had placed on their website that gives you a summary of the TOMiGAi Products when you click play. What really sparked my interest was that they even hired a professional voice talent to do it. I had the chance to visit the website tonight and experience it for myself, and I was both pleasantly surprised and quite impressed! They truly did hire a professional to read out the script, and it was a very well-written out script! Thank you to Steven and Cathy for understanding and believing in the philosophy and science behind TOMiGAi .

To see what I am talking about, click here.

Oh well, it is getting late, and I wanna get some sleep in before another day begins. I’m super psyched for tomorrow! Virginia, here I come!