Entropy
The process of something progressing from a high state of organization to chaos has been demonstrated in my back yard. In 2002 I built a small goldfish pond in the back yard. It had two levels with a waterfall connecting the upper and lower ponds. It had goldfish and flowers. It had clear water and was pleasant to sit beside and listen to. Here's a picture of our infant pond.
The following year, I added a G scale train that travelled around the pond and over a bridge, across the pond. There were a few more plants, especially aquatic plants, and lots more rocks. The water was still clear, the waterfall did not leak, and now we could play with trains. We even had lighthouses representing two of my favorite Chesapeake Bay lighthouses. And we had frogs.
Over the next few years the waterfall sprung a leak; the top pond stagnated because water could not be circulated through it. The Lily pad did very well for itself, as did the rest of the aquatic plants. The Terran plants, especially the weeds, also enjoyed their time in our yard. We acquired a snapping turtle, and a lot more frogs. The trains stopped working and the track was taken up, although the bridge remained as a decoration. The little ecosystem became self-sufficient; I even stopped feeding the fish because they didn't more food than the little pond provided. The snapping turtle ate some fish, which spawned to replenish their numbers. The frogs had plenty of bugs that grew in the stagnant part of the pond. However, without any external input, Entropy ruled. I had lost my pond.
I couldn't take it any more. I spent the day up to my knees in pond scum. I pulled out all the plants, which were absolutely everywhere. I had to cut the Lily pad into pieces just to get it out of the water, it weighed so much. The kids and I picked up every rock, removed the upper pond, shoveled dirt to re-design the landscape, chopped, pulled, yanked, and broke our backs 
removing weeds. Then, we put it all back together, not quite as good as new, but a lot better than Entropy would have it. We got a new waterfall. We kept the bridge, the lighthouses, small parts of the old plants to start new ones, the fish, the frogs, and even the snapping turtle. The water is not clear yet, but at least the pump is working, so maybe the little particle filter will help clarify it. Some days, that shower feels really good.
The process of something progressing from a high state of organization to chaos has been demonstrated in my back yard. In 2002 I built a small goldfish pond in the back yard. It had two levels with a waterfall connecting the upper and lower ponds. It had goldfish and flowers. It had clear water and was pleasant to sit beside and listen to. Here's a picture of our infant pond.
The following year, I added a G scale train that travelled around the pond and over a bridge, across the pond. There were a few more plants, especially aquatic plants, and lots more rocks. The water was still clear, the waterfall did not leak, and now we could play with trains. We even had lighthouses representing two of my favorite Chesapeake Bay lighthouses. And we had frogs.
Over the next few years the waterfall sprung a leak; the top pond stagnated because water could not be circulated through it. The Lily pad did very well for itself, as did the rest of the aquatic plants. The Terran plants, especially the weeds, also enjoyed their time in our yard. We acquired a snapping turtle, and a lot more frogs. The trains stopped working and the track was taken up, although the bridge remained as a decoration. The little ecosystem became self-sufficient; I even stopped feeding the fish because they didn't more food than the little pond provided. The snapping turtle ate some fish, which spawned to replenish their numbers. The frogs had plenty of bugs that grew in the stagnant part of the pond. However, without any external input, Entropy ruled. I had lost my pond.
I couldn't take it any more. I spent the day up to my knees in pond scum. I pulled out all the plants, which were absolutely everywhere. I had to cut the Lily pad into pieces just to get it out of the water, it weighed so much. The kids and I picked up every rock, removed the upper pond, shoveled dirt to re-design the landscape, chopped, pulled, yanked, and broke our backs 
removing weeds. Then, we put it all back together, not quite as good as new, but a lot better than Entropy would have it. We got a new waterfall. We kept the bridge, the lighthouses, small parts of the old plants to start new ones, the fish, the frogs, and even the snapping turtle. The water is not clear yet, but at least the pump is working, so maybe the little particle filter will help clarify it. Some days, that shower feels really good.
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