Our new pond - Started Fall 2011 - Complete - ?

[Craig58]

The next step was getting these into the pond. My son helped me move them. They were very heavy. But putting them in the pond wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Once the pedestals were in place in the pond, we got the pots up on the wall and slide them in. They almost floated! But they were slowly sinking! But it only took a few seconds to get them in place over the pedestals and they sunk gently onto them. Then we just had to feel around the pot (a fair amount of mud kicked up out of the pot), and make sure it was properly centered on the circular stone top.

 

[Craig58]

Ok.. now of course life doesn't stop for pond building. Some days I wish it would. I had several activities going on.

In May my son, nephew and some friends took a long weekend to hike the Grand Canyon. We hiked down to Havasu Falls and stayed in the Indian Village lodge. The second day we hiked to Beaver Falls and back and then hiked out the third day and drove up to Vegas. A night on the time and a flight back home the next day. A GREAT quick get away to an amazing place!!

Our start


Havasu Falls:

The view along the trail next to Havasu Creek

Me at Beaver Falls:


Beaver Falls:

Navajo Falls:

And yes.. we walked back out.

 

[Craig58]

I also got to go to a tactical tracking class with law enforcement folks. This is basically a class that teaches officers how to read their dogs to locate a suspect using their tracking dogs while they are still literally hundreds of yards away from the suspect. It allows them to outflank the suspect, and keep the dogs, especially the defenseless bloodhounds, away from the danger. It also helps protect the officers as well as it gives them a chance take cover and call the suspect out while having them surrounded.

The skills I picked up were helpful as a good percentage of the folks we are asked to search for are despondent and sucidal. In a few cases psychotic. Who knows how they might react when we get too close.

This class used paint ball guns. If we got to close the suspects would ambush us. We often got splattered the first 3-4 days. But by the end of the 4th and on the 5th day we were outflanking them and forcing them to surrender.

Heading out. Some rough country in Washington State!!

The handler and K9 should always should have their own cover man


No where near the suspect but already the officers sense the dog is closing in.

This K9 is on point, off leash and is locked and loaded. We were at least a football field away from the suspects at this point. They were through the woods and aross another meadow yet. Amazing abilities!



GREAT training week!

 

[Craig58]

Oh yeah.. and another kind of minor thing..

We had our first grandchild.

 

[Craig58]

So the pond was basically done. But oh boy.. the landscaping to be done.

The next project was a garden wall.


I was able to get my son to help some. The rototiller worked great for digging the trench for the wall.


Once the trench was dug, we added what is called "modified". Basically crushed stone with lots of tiny stone chips in it. Once it is packed down it forms an almost concrete like base for the wall.

 

[Craig58]

The straight section was done first, then the curved portion was competed into the grade.

This is just about the finished product.

 

[Craig58]

Ok.. that's enough of an update for now. So here's one of my favorite pics so far of the new pond.





This came out small when my wife sent it to me for some reason. But it give's an idea of the waterfall feature.

 

[Craig58]

Ok.. so it's been awhile since I've update this. The pond itself has been doing well. We were concerned last year since the fish didn't spawn which was the first time in about 20 yrs that didn't happen. I assume that it was due to the stress of moving in the early spring last year. But we made up for it this year. We probably have about 40-50 baby koi to catch by winter.

Last year, the late summer and fall of 2013, was dedicated to deck building. It took awhile but my wife and I finally decided on a deck design. The pictures are pretty much self-explanatory. Once the wood ages, I fix some minor defects and we add on the steps and redo the upper deck, we'll stain the lower deck in two tones. The wide planks dividing the sections and the perimeter "picture frame" planks around the edge will be stained and sealed. The interior cross planks will be stained a different color.

 

[Craig58]

So, we also had to rip out the old pond. I knew I wasn't going to get the foundation walls out myself so we brought back our guy with the heavy equipment.

 

[Craig58]

This year we have been really busy and I haven't had the time to do the amount of work on the decking that I wanted to. We have to redo and add to the upper deck and build new stairs. I've redone the supports under the old deck and started on the steps but I'm not that far along yet. I'll post on that later. Here's a few pictures from this year of the pond, our second summer with the new pond.



Our Lotus did really well this year. This was the second season for these. They were created from the single lotus we had in the old pond. Each one so far has produced about a dozen blooms apiece with a few more coming up yet.


The view from the upper deck off the kitchen.

 

[j.w]

Such a pretty pond, fish and plants! You definitely are busy for sure

 

[sissy]

wow look at those lotus and great job on the pond and the fish look happy .Every thing takes time but in the end all worth it

 

[Lisak1]

Absolutely gorgeous! Our lotus is FINALLY starting to bloom... the cool summer has been great, unless you're trying to grow tomatoes or lotuses!

 

[addy1]

Very nice looking

 

[Lisaebetten]

wow you sure know how to make a pond and spoil your fish!!!