The Unique Back Yard

04/15/2026

Every Spring I spend every day I can trying to help the sun melt the ice in my main pond. The great north is not a place to keep Koi through the Winter. The year is more often splint into 6 months outside, and 6 months in an old garage, that needs to be heated for much of the Winter. Every year I try to speed up the seasons, for feeding Koi in water below 60 degrees can kill them without controlling their ammonia level. Koi will go to sleep not much below 60, and their food can kill them because they can't digest it, and getting water out there on a regular basis is not possible in our Winters, but luckily, they can do with out for much of the Winter sleeping. You know, they say fish have a 3 second memory, but our Koi recognize my wife's and my voice and the word food, some even know their names. Not all of them have names. I've spent my life pleasing myself, I think we all do, but seeing how others like "dumb animals", live is strange. I realize, as I quietly watch them, "study" them if you will. I can't help but noticing them watching me back.

04/14/2026

Ya know, I started TUBY because I found a passion for Koi. I have always had a love for the outdoors and hunting and fishing; I took more than my share, and it often feed my family. Anybody who does, knows you don't make money off of doing it, it costs you. There was a time when you could make money doing it, but that was generations ago now, and in many ways, it is our government that has caused this. Dividing, does not conquer nature, it destroys it, and there is not enough of us out here willing to put the money back into fixing what others saw as conquering. It's not us who are going to suffer the future, it will be our children, or our children's children. This is what The Unique Back Yard "TUBY" is about, my feeble attempt to call attention to this before it's too late.

04/12/2026

I'm planning a trip to Princeton MN to Prairie Restorations for a few things. I have been trying to help out the Monarch to recover, so I have been working in the The Unique Back Yard to make my Pond and yard to a place that will produce a few. I figure, if I can do it in my small yard on Hwy 10 in Dilworth, I can maybe find someone I can by some swamp land and help them get on their wings again. Well, we have successfully over the years done it, you'd be surprised. If anyone would like some Swamp milk w**d, or of the flowers they like let me know, I'll see what I can do, but it doesn't come cheap.

10/29/2025

Published by
Rick Gilbertson
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CRITTERS FEED AND SEED was a business for many years in this area, but many large businesses started offering "Wild Bird Seed" in this area. The fact is, most other businesses didn't do their homework and supplied product that the birds around here did not eat, in other words the cheap seed. The birds lost out, half the seed they sold ended up on the ground. Needless to say, most of the average consumers did not do their homework either and stopped feeding, but there were a few businesses that did. At that time I had Created "The Unique Back Yard" a hobby business that I did and still do out of love for Koi. I do not run this as a business anymore, but as a hobby, I still have to sell some koi as size can be an issue. I took over "CRITTERS FEED AND SEED", I write it this way because the original owner capitalized it when they took out the business license. My sister took it over when I was near my 3rd year with "The Unique Back Yard", TUBY for short, and that goes back near 20 years now. My back yard is "The Unique Back Yard"
and all animals are welcome here. We still have ponds and bird feeders, and we are working on both, but we put more money out then we bring in, and that's okay, because we love them both. Don't get involved in these things for the love of money, do it for the love of Right, it is right to help wildlife of all kinds. My next project is turning some farmland back to the wildlife once again.

09/25/2025

I'm going to be looking to sell some Koi, drop me a line if you're interested.

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09/16/2025

I have no interest in opinions other than making nature what it used to be. Please come here to enjoy what can be and should be, not what should stay opinions, I put that away. We need to fix the world, not our opinions of it.

09/08/2025

Yesterday I looked out my back door and saw a big bird sitting on the head of one of my statues the one of a boy fishing, normally this is where my Koi are swimming. I had the pond over half covered with Lettuce and other floating plants. I find that Koi don't like to eat the lettuce as much as the other plants. Being a fisher, Grebe's popped into my head, but when my wife looked it up, we realized it was a young one that had not changed its colors. I stepped out on the deck, and he looked at me immediately, but stayed in place. I told him, what I told all who come to my backyard he is welcome, but not to my fish. If he wants my fish, I will kill him. He got really fidgety at that point and as I moved towards him, he jumped up and flew to the lath on the other side of the pond and looked at me again. Then he gave me a feeling of understanding and turned and flew away. On one hand, I was worried, but on the other hand, I had to think that here we were in the middle of Dilworth on Highway 10, less than a 100ft from it, he stopped at a pond that is not more than 12x9 ft. Should I take that as a complement? That is yet to be seen.

05/28/2025

The Unique Back Yard was a business that I started over 20 years ago. It is my yard that I have and still work on to this day. I have ponds and I also cater to birds and other animals like rabbits and other things I share my yard with. There is little or no money in this as a business, it is just a way that I give back to the wonderful life I have lived. I believe strongly in giving back but not trying to retrain a natural way of life. All must learn balance.

05/28/2025

The robin who set up a nest in my pergola has now been joined by its mate, so I believe they have started hatching. I can't be sure, for she built on a tight ledge. I think we're Grand Parents again. Yea!!!!

10/25/2024

I have a problem, I sense things, and I always know when it is negative. I rarely know what it is, and it is not always about me, or mine, I just know it's going to happen. The biggest problem is, often, though bad, the outcome is often good in the end. It is hard to know when to say things, and when to say nothing, for most don't listen any way.

10/10/2024

I want to say good job to those who joined me doing what had to be done in the South. I feel you all, no matter where you are. To understand that space does not matter, and energy is what matters, is all that matters. Until the next time.

08/27/2024

My reading nook.