About

Welcome to Happy Ponds:

If you enjoy your pond as much as we’ve enjoyed ours then there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy our “Happy Ponds” Website as we strive towards accomplishing our mission and fulfilling our dream.

In the beginning:

After getting laid off recently I was struggling to figure out what the right thing to do next was when it dawned on me that the pond business was just perfect for me and my situation! I had come up with the Happy Ponds idea years ago, but was tied up with an IT company at that time. Happy Ponds doesn’t just get my heart pumping, it can involve our entire family of six. It also helps make use of our 12 acres located on a busy state highway here in Northern Virginia. Our kids have spent their lives here and we’ve been here for 20 years worth of ours.

So the Happy Ponds idea was reborn!

Our pond experience:

Our pond is not your typical water garden. Our pond was made about 35 years ago and it’s about a 1/3 of an acre in size that is thankfully fed by several underground springs. They seem to be working well, as we’ve never had to drain or change the water and our mudpond has always been maintenance free and the fish have always thrived. You could say it’s always been a Happy Pond.

Over the last 20 years our pond and fish have provided us with countless peaceful moments and opportunities to just sit back and relax. All 4 of our boys have grown up around this pond. Whenever we’ve asked them as teens would they rather live in a lrger house with a larger bedroom they’ve snapped back a frm “no! “. Life without our pond is hard to imagine.

It’s not a fancy pond at all. Just a sizable manmade mud pond without any landscaping to speak of and a bunch of very healthy fish. We won’t win any awards, but it’s been a mutually beneficial relationship for a long ime now.

Our fish:

We currently have 3 very large and very old koi. They’re the only survivors from the previous owner who purchased them at least 25 years ago! When we moved in there were 6 (all full grown back then) and through the years we’ve lost three. (If you’re one of the “pros” please don’t read this next sentence.) Living alongside our koi are hundreds of bluegill and widemouth bass. The pond was fully stocked before we bought the property and who am I to kick them out?

The bass and bluegill aren’t all that bad…, besides eating a lot of the koi food we throw in they don’t do any harm and they’re excellen mosquito eaters. My only complaint is the time I bought my first batch of 8 new koi. These 8 4″ koi quickly went into hiding and I suppose they’re still in hiding because I haven’t seen a one of them since.

Our name:

When the business idea came to me a few years ago I was in need of a name. So I thought hard about what it is about ponds that make so many of us want to create one from the ground up (or actually down). Beyond helping to relax us they tend to make all who visit their shores happy. Of course this is only true when the pond is clear and the fish are healthy. Otherwise a pond does anything but make you happy.

What are Happy Ponds?

Happy Ponds are ponds that have fresh healthy water and fish that lift the spirits of all who visit. An unhappy pond is one that is out of equilibrium or has some problem causing cloudy or murky water or unhealthy fish. Most of us have had a time or two where our ponds were anything but “happy”.

What is our mission?

Pond people are a special breed and if we can carve out living helping pond people keep their ponds happy and share a few smiles and laughs along the way then we’ve succeeded in our mission.

How will we do this?

Nothing fancy. Using our HappyPonds.com Website we’ll offer useful information, resources, and even some entertainment to both pond owners and the “others” who know they want a pond, but still can’t seem to get off the dime. During this process we’ll forge some relationships with vendors of the best available fish, products, supplies and services. We’ll only do business with people and companies that care about fish, wildlife, and people, and that value relationships and their reputations. If we’re willing to stand firmly behind the vendor and can offer you competitive prices we’ll carry that vendor and try to earn your business when you decide to purchase the product, supplies or service. Your satisfaction will always be guaranteed.

Our Dream:

Beyond our mission for Happy Ponds we dream of turning our 12 acres here in Northern Virginia into a park of sorts with slews of Happy Ponds all feeding into our large pond with streams, falls, and of course hundreds of healthy fish to greet thousands of visitors from the local community. Over the years we’ve fought the temptation to follow the advise of others… “put in a putt-putt golf course”, or “sell to developers”, “start a dog kennel” or cause our land to have some other predictable and not-so-pleasant a fate. If you’re into ponds then you can probably wrap your mind around a vision similar to the one we have. We hope we can pull it off!

Our Team:

Colin – At nearly 6 years old Colin has become an expert and entusiastic feeder and cheerleaser of sorts for the fish. If he’s not feeding the fish he’s either sick or deep into another episode of Sponge Bob.

As you can see Colin is willing to do whatever he needs to do to keep his kindergarten teacher happy. Imagine what he’ll to keep customers happy?

Dustin – At 15 years old Dustin is the fastest feeder of the fish with his lightning speed down and then back up the hill. He’ll be instrumental in doing much of the fun stuff that needs to be done to deliver excellent customer service while he helps to build our dream. No, that’s not a gun he’s pointing or a Travolta dance. He’s on hos way to a freshman dance.

Kevin – At 17 Kevin will learn how to start a business, grow a business (hopefully), learn a fantastic industry and meet wonderful pond people. He’s already contributed greatly with a tremendous idea that I can’t wait to share with you soon!

Brian – Our special Son Brian is 19 years old, and he marches to his own drummer. The thought of having a business right here that he can help out with is very appealing to us. He can feed the fish, help keep the place clean, help greet any visitors, and most importantly, help to keep everyone else grounded.