Koi make splash at Boulder Falls Inn

Tom Mechals watches koi fish gobble up some fish food pellets. Photos by Sarah Brown

As Tom Mechals approaches the fence, a shoal is already gathering.

Hungry mouths pop open like baby birds yearning for a worm to make its way down their gullets.

Mechals pinches a small amount of kibble and tosses it into the water, causing an excited flurry of waves and spectacle of color.

The Navy veteran is behind Boulder Falls Inn, making a visit to the Japanese Healing Garden pond with hopes of finding his former…