The pond dig has begun!

[CountryEscape]

My puppies were at 2.75#, 3#, and 3.25# last Saturday, day before they were 6 weeks old. They will reach somewhere between 13 and 18#, my guess. Their dad is around 17# and mom weighs around 14#.
I had to fill water in the goldfish pond, the pump was sucking too hard to get water in there. Had to thaw out the hose, but then filled it right up ... to overflowing of course. LOL Set timer, but evidently 30 minutes was too was too long for only a couple of inches. Oh well, better too high than too low. This morning had to fill the koi pond, so only filled it 15 minutes worth, and it was just right. Both ponds have overflows, so no worries about that. Temps got up to 40 today, so some thawing happened to the thin layers of ice in the ponds. I sure am not ready to have a winter like my Canadian friend have every year! Need to have some 50's yet, after all, that's our average this time of year, not 20!

 

[j.w]

We too were too low in the cold CE but now we are coming out of it and back almost to 50, whew! 47 now but noticed you are at 28........still too cold for you.

 

[Big Lou]

Much warmer here.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I am warmer than you right now at 39 degrees CE!! You are only showing 22 degrees right now so you must have my cold! he he he

 

[CountryEscape]

We had some really cold days here, but finally warmed up last weekend, but the winds are awful, making it colder than temps indicate. Was nice to be outside without a coat on the weekend, though.
My son's uncle gave me his doe so I now have deer meat in my freezer ... about 60# of it! I skinned the deer and did all the butchering myself! That was a first for skinning, but second time I had butchered one all by myself. Very proud of myself. LOL Hope these pics don't offend anyone. This is how we do it in the country.

Joe has his deer processed, pays someone else to do it! I told him if he gets a doe, I will process it and he can pay me. LOL I am VERY picky about cleaning the meat so no hair or gristle left on it, so it's far better than getting it done commercially, and I know that I am getting the meat I took there, too, not mixed with someone else's big buck. YUCK! Joe got a really nice buck, 10 pointer, and his ex wife and her husband actually are going to have the meat processed. As far as I am concerned, that is coyote meat. Yuck!
Here's Denali begging to come inside with her "prize". My dogs are eating well with the scraps from the deer, but she is not allowed inside with any of the pieces, no matter how many times she begs.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Ha ha ha! Lucky Doggies I would say!! Are you planning to make deer sausage cause then you will have to invite me for some! Poppy, Bear and Rio would love to come have deer scraps too!

 

[Big Lou]

Venison blackstrap is so good. As good if not better is sauage made with a mixture of venison mixed and pork or beef. That sausage is delious in jambalaya and gumbo. The secret to venison is knowing how to prep and cook.

 

[j.w]

I do like meat and am a full blown carnivore but yikes that looks like a horror movie in the making

 

[callingcolleen1]

Venison blackstrap is so good. As good if not better is sauage made with a mixture of venison mixed and pork or beef. That sausage is delious in jambalaya and gumbo. The secret to venison is knowing how to prep and cook.

Me and the puppies are getting hungry and that jambalaya sure sounds good right about now!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Good Job CE, all by your lonesome too! Outstanding job there you hardy bush woman!

 

[CountryEscape]

I'm baaaack ... man, this last month is going tooooo fast! I went to WI for Thanksgiving, then the following Wed. flew to AZ with my youngest sister from WI, and we met up in Phoenix airport for a 5 day visit with our Mom. Now, trying to get caught up and ready for Christmas! Daughter and SIL are coming the 24th from UT, son and his GF will be here, plus Joe and his 3 girls, and hopefully all of their families. Including the baby, will be up to 14 of us. Can't wait!!!! Have tons of things to do before next Wed., but I'm up for it. That is the one thing that I miss the most after divorce, the large family gatherings for Christmas. I'm getting my dream come true this year.

 

[callingcolleen1]

So happy for you CE! Nothing like a large family gathering for Christmas. I was wondering where you went. How was the pond while you were away?

 

[j.w]

Good to see you so excited CE w/all your family and extended new family. It is a nice time of the year w/good feelings all around us. I knew you were off enjoying times w/your family and Joe and you always pop up eventually and let us know how much fun you are having.
It's good to see you so happy, not that you weren't happy before but you sound even happier now

 

[CountryEscape]

Ponds are both running just fine. Shut off the waterfall about a month ago, but leaving the stream going like I did last winter, just like you said, Colleen. Goldfish pond never froze solid last year that I remember, unless it did for a short time with the power outage and the zero temps we had for a day with no power. But, koi pond was trouble. Changed lines so that now the main pump (that used the run the waterfall and the fountain) runs just the koi bog. Hoping with more pressure through it, it will keep running and circulating water. The skimmer can run all winter, too, as long as the ice doesn't form too deep, but thinking the water pulling in constantly will keep it from freezing solid. If we get those frigid temps like last winter, I'll just shut off that skimmer. The goldfish pond skimmer runs the stream, and it ran all year. I did have the floating heaters right in front of the skimmers, though, and do NOT plan to have them running as much as last winter. So, we shall see how things go. I want to keep electric bill down as much as possible this winter. Learning new things each winter!
Yes, I'm happy, and enjoying Joe and his family. Now with both of my kids coming (my son would have come, he's only hour and a half away) for Christmas Eve, it will be a wonderful holiday indeed! Next year, I will probably go to UT for Christmas. With new baby, she will want to stay home, I would guess.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I regularly unplugged my big heater. It will keep the cost down just using when necessary. Today I unplugged heater this morning cause not much ice and it should warm up later in afternoon. Right now it is 21 degrees Fahrenheit, not too cold and pond has very litte ice. I find the faster the pumps flow, the less ice I have generally.