A Short One Again

Another short entry tonight, the weather was gorgeous this evening, 70's, after snow on Monday!  Mother Nature has teased us all week.  Late in the evening, the pond man came to remind himself what needed to be done here to make a good pond for us.  As we have only five acres, we are giving up almost an acre for the pond, which will be stocked so that Keith, the grandkids, our friends and hopefully, my brother can fish in it.  I wish I had gotten a picture of Tony as he ran toward the strangers (the pond man and his son) when they and Keith walked into the pasture.  For protection itself, the llamas pay off.  Tony, Inca and Aztec all came up to see what was happening.  Keith has asked the pond man to please come only when he is there, since we have to worry about keeping the llamas in while he goes in and out the gate to the pasture.  The man lives down our road a mile, and is willing to do this.  We are having him tear down an old frame that Keith started out in the pasture for a separate shed for our turkeys many summers ago, and to fill in and modify some

ditches that were dug for a project never finished. 

There are two ditches and  you can just see the frame of the building behind them to the south.  The pond man will smooth all this out, and take out the foundation neatly. When we had the waterfowl, they loved to dabble in these ditches, and the frogs have loved them.

Here is the pond as it has been for three years:

It is basically a scooped out hole where Keith and friend took a bobcat, scooped out dirt to make a level pad for a barn (also to be built) and scooped down four feet at the deepest so the ducks, the geese, and Beau and Lacey had a place to drink out of and swim in.  The Pekins, the calls, and the geese loved it!  Unfortunately, as you see, it had no dam, and the bottom soon silted in. 

Then it breached, and does not hold more than two feet of water right now, though that picture was taken yesterday.  The frogs love it, but even they abandoned it last August when it dried up.

When the pond man comes tomorrow, (he has a name, Mr. Calovich) he will not only make a proper pond, 12 feet deep, but also a good dam, a spill pipe, and clean up around it.  We know it will be months before it settles down and fills, but the frogs will hopefully hop away and avoid the caterpiller, and come hopping back when he is finished.  Then I'll be doing the rain dance and praying for rain, to fill it. 

The llamas will still have two acres to graze and browse, and we have two acres of yard and gardens. 

All that planning and walking wore Keith, Abby, and Gertie out.

It will be about 3 times the size of the current pond.  We hope to build a small dock or a gazebo to sit and enjoy it, and for the guys to fish off of.  Of course, we'll stock it.  When I retire, I'll have some waterfowl again, in fact, to sit and watch them on the pond.

I wish I could tell you all that I will be here to take pictures of the process, but unless he comes tomorrow evening, I won't be able to.  I'll ask Keith to try to take a few.