Country Escape's 2nd pond - Goldfish only

[j.w]

After I saw your windmill CE that you are fixing all up and getting ready to put up I asked my hubby if he would build me one from scratch cuz he's a sheet metal guy and can weld me one easy. He didn't say he'd do it but he asked me how tall of a one I would want. So maybe there is hope!

 

[CountryEscape]

Yippee, JW!!! I would be happy to take pics up close to show him all the details. The legs and braces are "L" iron, and the cross braces are just flat iron. They are welded and then bolted where the top half joins the bottom half. The windmill has an arm that slips into a sleeve, I will grease it heavily before putting it back on top, and it spins in the wind. The windmill itself has ball bearings in the center do the fan spins with the wind, too. I'm sure he could make you a fine windmill, far better than the ones they sell that are 8' and go for about $100, but are not made very well, not heavy duty at all, and not welded, just bolted together. The nuts would vibrate off, then the thing would topple in the wind, because nothing holding the tower together. I was thrilled to find this one, and only about 10 miles from my house, too!

 

[j.w]

Thanks CE and I will let him know that. He's always asking me what he wants me to make for him so now I found something else. I think it would be fun to have one out there in front somewhere where I can see it from my front porch. Maybe he can make a base for it out of heavy metal attached to the legs w/holes in the base for spikes pounded in the ground to keep it from toppling over. I think I'd want it about 8' to 10' tall. Might even be another good deterrent for the heron! I never see them here anymore anyways tho thankfully.

 

[CountryEscape]

Do you have moles, JW? If you have wind and moles, a windmill will keep them away. The vibration in the ground is not liked by moles, and they leave the area. But, if you don' t have wind, then it may not work. My horse shoer said he never had a mole in his yard until his windmill fell over and was demolished. They sell whirlygigs to stick in the yard for the same purpose, but I think you would need a bunch of them!
Man did I get stuff done today!!! I got my flag rope put back up ... AGAIN ... on the flag pole. I'm going to have to figure out something to fix this, as it gets torn up by the pulley after only about 60 days, and it sucks cause I have to get the extension ladder out and the tractor to lean it on the scoop way up high, and I don't care much for heights! Good thing it's only 16' high.
While I had the tractor out, I scooped up some dirt to fill in the ruts I made when I dug out that chunk of concrete. Will have to smooth it with a shovel, or wait for it to dry up more. Don't want to get the tractor stuck again. haha
Then, finally finished the mailbox project. I had to glue a 2x4 onto the metal post so I could put the new plaque with my house numbers on it. I tried to drill through the metal, and I have no idea what it is, but must be really thick! Looks like a 4x4 post, but it's metal. Got the 2x4 glued on yesterday, then painted the post and mailbox this morning and 2nd coat this afternoon. I think it turned out pretty nice, except I forgot to paint the red flag white! Will have to do that when the mailbox is good and dry. Pulled out the "T" post and newspaper box that has been pointing up to heaven for 2 years now, since I don't use it, and the wind bent the bracket.

Then, in the stupid heat of the day, I decided to get the tiller out and till the garden, then weed the rows. That's what did me in, but I got it done!
Before and After

Came in, showered, fixed supper, took an Alleve, now relaxing the rest of the evening! Whew!

 

[gardengirl]

Wow nice mailbox. Your garden looks pretty big. What all do you have planted?

 

[addy1]

Yea, I didn't have much sun in Maryland and my lilies never bloomed. Hopefully this pond will do better. The day lilies I transplanted from the shade are blooming so that is good. Goodness Chris, your fish must be extremely happy, reproducing like crazy it looks like Have been hit and miss here on GPF but is that your new baby Chris? What a cutie! Windmill looks really cool CE. We had family in OK that had an old wooden one that still pumped water. I wish I had it.

Yep our new baby........missy monster. She is a handful, keeps me darn busy.

Everything looking good there CE, great looking mailbox job.

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks, ladies. GG, I only have 4 tomato plants (finally got cages on them, and they were too big, so had to smoosh them into the cases, and they were not happy LOL), 6 pepper plants, and 2 zucchini plants, and 6 rows of corn; however, of the 6 rows of corn, 2 of those rows are only about 1/4 as long as the others. Guess the rain and water drowned out the other ends of those rows. I'm just happy I have enough corn to till around! This is literally the 6th time I have planted corn in that garden, and first time I've kept it! Never had more than about 1/10 germination. Crazy, I have no idea why and no one else does either. First year planted it 3 times (first time was too cool, but no excuse for the 2nd and 3rd planting), 2nd year planted it 2 times, and didn't even try last year. Nothing has been put on the garden besides old manure. Not sure if there was some chemical in the manure, or if it's the ground, or what. Maybe whatever it was is dissipating and no longer causing a problem. I hope at least!

 

[gardengirl]

Sounds yummy. My son sent some green beans home with me yesterday and my husband and I were breaking beans this morning after church. Cooked them all day and had with dinner tonite. Yum!

 

[CountryEscape]

When I was married, and kids were young, I used to have a HUGE garden. Just the "staples" - green beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers, radishes, zucchini, cucumbers. I have canned probably thousands of quarts of green beans, froze another thousand or so pints of corn, and who knows how many jars of whole tomatoes, tomato juice, spaghetti sauce, and pickles. I had a huge area of cucumbers, the pickling kind, and would pick them every other day, as we all liked the mini dill pickles. Do you know how many tiny pickles it takes to fill a quart jar? Wow, it takes a LOT of cucumbers to do that, but it was worth it. I loved to can, but now I just enjoy growing a small garden, just to eat what comes out of it. It was hard to stop growing 20 tomato plants. Four is 3 more than I really need, but I do it anyhow. LOL If I get to eat some fresh corn on the cob with my daughter (she will be here in 3 weeks) and my sister and her family (2 weeks after that), I will be thrilled!

 

[gardengirl]

My son, who just got married, is learning about gardening from her family. His mother in law planted just about everything but he is kinda taking credit since he has been watering and weeding. Im not sure if he will eat anything that was planted. Squash, greenbeans, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, watermelons, zucchini, peppers and others. He likes several things just not sure if he will cook them. I can see her mom fixing everything. Ha Ha. She picked the greenbeans for me and squash for my mother in law. Its fun just to hear him go on about the different plants. City boy marries country girl.

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, good for him! I was the city girl married country boy. His mom had huge garden by need, not by desire. I always wanted to have a garden, and when I did, I went head first in a big one! My former mother in law told me, "Slow down, you're going to get burned out", but I never did. Didn't slow down until kids were both out of the house, then it was really hard to grow less than what a family would need. Now it's just me, and I still like to grow a garden, just enjoying the flowers and ponds far more these days, so vege garden takes second place anymore. And, if your son's MIL fixes the veges for him, I bet he will figure out he likes them after all, now that he's taking care of the gardens. Planting is the easy part, watering and weeding is by far the hardest part of gardening. I'd say he's going to want to eat what he is growing. :blueflower:

 

[gardengirl]

I hope he does. He can cook. I call him chefboyrdee!! He likes to make chicken dishes,shrimp, fish mostly the entrée not the veggies. He would be up after midnite in my kitchen making rice. Never learned to clean up after himself. New wife should fix that!!

 

[j.w]

Nice looking mailbox CE and yum corn on the cob, my favorite. I used to have a veggie garden every year but not anymore. I'll just have my tomatoes in the green house and plant a few things in containers for a salad and call it good. A hint on the corn seed germination I use to do was to put the corn seeds between 2 wet paper towels on a plate and keep them moist and when they sprouted I'd plant them. 100% growth after that process.

 

[CountryEscape]

Good point, JW, about pre-sprouting them. May have to try that next time, as any plant I put out do just fine, it's the seeds that have to sprout. Not sure why either, as always enough moisture, or I add moisture!
Speaking of moisture, I left the hose on the goldfish pond ALL NIGHT LONG!!!! It was struggling to produce water this morning, thinking there was air getting into the line, using more than the well could produce, but still have water. Good thing I'm on well water! Just a very wet yard past the goldfish pond! Darn!!!! Forgot to set the timer ... AGAIN. :banghead3:

 

[j.w]

Timer, timer, timer CE and you don't want to burn up your well pump as those things aren't real cheap. Your pond got a nice refreshing fill out of it all and your lawn too!