That still small dripping kitchen faucet has consequences.
When last you read, perhaps you recall seeing the pond work that had been done. (Pic to left) That was barely two months ago. Inside the yellow circle on the right is the spring line feeding that pond.
(As always you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.)
Below is a picture of the pond today.
Has there ever been a better picture of the cost or the extensive nature of a small plumbing leak??? In just two short months (and of course with the help of some rain) the pond is nearing full. It has about three feet left to go. The white standing pipe will allow the overflow to go into the roadside culvert with run off from the land. And that means that water will always be moving, flowing, being refreshed. We might yet add a solar powered pump to assist in keeping the algae at bay.
A lot of work, I am finding, goes into putting in a pond. On the far bank (in the pic above) you may be able to see a gray gravel section in the middle of the exposed bank. This is a spawning bed. In the deepest (8 feet) part of the pond, near the base of the white standing pipe, are a series of cinder blocks, stones, and other fish habitat. Yet this week I hope to place the baby blue gills and minnows that will have time to establish themselves before the perch and bass are placed in the spring. The water is still muddy due to the clay base and will take a year or so to clear properly, so we hope by next summer...
Here are a couple more shots. This first (to the left) is from the roadside top of
the dike. The dock still needs to be finished and the area behind
cleared of the debris. Eventually this will become a picnic area.
The second is a view from the dock looking across the road (loose interpretation as it ends another 100' to the left of the pic).
We're pleased with the work, although we still have some wet areas around the far end of the pond. The friend who helped dig the pond is scheduled to come out next week to put in another swale. With five known active springs water is ever-present, a very nice problem to have.
The next project was some limited landscaping. I brought two cherry trees, a hickory tree, and a couple of mountain laurel down from the hillside on the south end of the property. It was quite fun with such a steep slope I had difficulty staying upright and while digging. On top of that there is always the issue of the rock (more on that later in this post...)
Having done quite a bit of ground work here I have slowly learned that the best motivation is to not think in terms of digging a hole so much as preparing to open my own stone quarry. The stones to the right were dug out of two 12" deep 12" diameter holes...
But this is life in this wonderous area of God's glorious creation. I continue to be amazed at what He as done and will yet do in our lives.
Today, the bathroom remodeling supplies have started to arrive. The local lumber store delivered the firring strips and the roofing sheets (stay tuned for that story) as well as the insulation and tongue and groove (the trend continues). And finally we're preparing to sign the contract for all new windows and a board and batten siding to be put on next spring...The plan is proceeding nicely.
Along the way I was also blessed with some freshly cut Larch that I'm air drying. Larch is akin to Cedar but a bit harder. That may be used for an accent wall or two in the bathroom and the remainder to make a couple of Adirondack chairs for the fire pit...
God is good! I hope you are experiencing His grace as well!
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