The pond dig has begun!

[humbirdlover]

We must like the same stuff, wheels, cans, anything galvanized..the beat up the better. And old cisterns? I only have one, and it's missing a handle. Need to start looking more.. Old enamel stuff is cool, too. Have quite a bit of it..

 

[CountryEscape]

Umm , ... HBL, around here a "cistern" is an underground holding tank for water, like a well, but where the gutters of the house drain into it! Are you talking about an old well pump? I have one of them, too, missing the handle. I would LOVE to find a handle for it, but antique lovers have latched on to them, and now if you find one intact, it goes for really high price.
Sissy, OMG OMG OMG!!! Those Elephant ears growing up past your deck, they are surely many years old, right? And, that black one growing with the green is soo neat! So, what do you do with your bulbs, cause obviously you have the "secret" too!
Yes, my ex's uncle sure has a knack with the ears and the palms. he brings the palms into his living room. his wife says it looks like a jungle in the winter time. No room in the LR except for plants! I've been there before, she's right!!!
Colleen, your dogs are adorable, and so is your Arthur and PeeWee, Sissy. Your Arthur sure looks intimidating to me, too, but I would not be afraid of him, since I know you and how you treat your dogs. Same with you, Colleen. Your pits and pit crosses would be lovable dogs to me, because you would let them know I'm nice. LOL My dogs, either they love humans, or they are a little shy. Haha. Neighbor's Mastiff pup .... we're talking up to my waist right now, and I think he's maybe 7 months old ... was in the road when I came home after work, saw me coming, what did he do? Sad down in the middle of the road, just past their house! I hollered at him and backed up and he followed me. Sure hope I didn't start something with him getting me to stop each time. He loves LOVES love humans. They are ALL his friend, would be an easy target to a thief snatching dogs. He would jump right into a car. I told them what he did, and they are not concerned. I guess people don't get their dogs stolen around here. That dog would easily bring $1,000 even without papers. He's obviously full blooded, and he's still all male.

 

[humbirdlover]

CE, this is a metal thing with a chain inside, and you crank a handle around. The chain has cups on it, and it beings the water up from the reservoir it sits on. Maybe the whole works is called a cistern? LOL I have an old iron hand pump, like the folks around here used in their kitchens. that's when you had piped water in, if you were rich! I use it for a water feature, and plumbed the hose up inside of it. Found a black plastic bottle, and cut it to perfectly fit in the spout for the water. Hearn it's not good to have water for fish running over cast iron?

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, wow, that sounds really cool, HBL. I don't think I've ever seen one like that. Bet that would be hard to find in good working condition.
I've decided I want to go to a few auctions this winter, but first I have to find time to spend a whole day away from here, and WANT to! LOL I just looked up antique cistern pump and they are really neat. Probably have seen them at auctions, never knew what they were. Bet they go high if all intact, same as hand pumps.
Going to look at a gaited mule on Fri. Really should sell my Paint mare first, but been wanting a mule since spring when I rode friend's mule. It sounds like exactly what I'm looking for, and price is really good, too! We shall see ....

 

[sissy]

No I just planted the elephant ears this year and the black ones were in pots for last winter because I bought them in NJ .But the cannas and the green elephant are from this year because the 2010 winter froze mine I usually pile mulch on top of them and they are fine .

 

[humbirdlover]

I think there might be a pic in the thread " Humbird's Green Pond" This one was my Grandmothers. I can remember when she had it in her kitchen. I am older than dirt, so I remember these things. There's a lot of those metal cistern pumps around here, especially around barns. they had round spouting on the buildings, and the water went right into the reservoir under it. Oh and if you had fishing worms in you water, it was good. Yuck..good luck getting your mule

 

[CountryEscape]

Which forum is your thread under, HBL? Maybe post something to bump it up the list! I'd love to see exactly what you're talking about, as it sounds different than what I found maybe.

 

[sissy]

Parents house in PA was like that a hand crank pump with a big metal bowl under it and it was off the kitchen in a small room off the kitchen and was fed by a natural spring .It is just a pump head ..That is before plumbing when we had the out house .We were fancy folk we had a 2 seater ,small seat for kids big seat for adults . :razz: or as dad said small rump roast and big rump roast :razz:

 

[humbirdlover]

Oh I remember them, and yes we had a two seater at my grandparents house. thanks goodness for small holes, LOL You know, I think back to those days quite often. Our world has changed so much, and a lot of it has not been for the best. Funny, I just can't picture my daughter using a wringer washer, heating water on the stove to wash the boys in a wash tub. Gonna show my age now, but I can remember Grandma putting that tub in the yard, filling with water, and waiting for the sun to warm it, for me. LOL No Ipods, etc for this kid, I had stick horses and imagination..

 

[sissy]

Yep remember mom stoking the wood stove in PA to heat water and you tin tub was in the middle of the kitchen .Still remember a wringer washer well hair getting stuck fingers getting pinched ,hurtttt .No such thing as children having children and waiting for welfare checks and food stamps to feed your own ,to proud for that .Get out and work and thats the problem with the world today .To many I want i want but don't want to work for it .I saw a young girl in walmart the other day new born baby and 2 other ones in the cart and she was 17 and all of them were hers I found out when I was trying to help her out . sad . childhood ruined and she was near tears trying to get the kids to stop crying and behave .Making it worse by smacking them .Babies having babies not a good combo .

 

[CountryEscape]

I see that all the time in my job ... babies having babies. The neighbor's daughter has 3 now, and she's not yet 20. Sad sad sad. Friend's daughter is 19 and having a baby, didn't even date the dad very long, accident pregnancy, but you know, both are responsible for birth control, not just the woman or the man. We were talking about that today, boss and I. BTW, boss is an attorney, and I am legal secretary, we do child support and paternity establishment/enforcement for the State of Illinois, and I work in an Attorney General's Office, she is the "Asst. Attorney General", not "the real thing". LOL We are a great team, I've been at it for 17 years, she has been for 15. But, we see very young women having kids. Case today, girl was 15, guy 18 when the child was BORN! Then they had another one when she was 17. Crazy! They have illusions of being a happy family, but they are not married, no job, expect welfare to take care of them, but nowadays, they don't just walk in and get that cash. They might get food stamps and medical card, but very few get extra cash for things like day care, housing, etc. Not even sure what the cash is for, since they hand out food stamps.
Had a Grandma get on the phone with me today, after her 17 yo daughter thought I was being mean to her! I told her I could not talk to her, it was her daughter's case, but if the phone had speaker, I could talk to them both. She got really pissy with me, and said I was being mean! I asked how I was being mean? She said, "You keep saying we don't have a paper that shows an August 20 court date and we have one right here!" So, I looked through the papers I had sent, 3 different papers, 3 different days, doing 3 different things, this was "too much paper for them to go through". Turns out the proof of service paragraph, where I sign and date, proving I mailed the document to the person named, was the date they were picking up thinking it was a court date. So, I had to calmly explain what that was NOT a court date, it was in the past when they GOT the papers! That they need to read the papers, not just look at things filled in, etc. I soooo bad wanted to say to the G'ma (when she got mean to ME and said her 17 yo daughter didn't understand!) that her 17 yo daughter got pregnant, it was time she learned to grow up and stand on her own! But, I'm not allowed to do that. I deal with some pretty stupid people daily, but I can usually tell the ones that are "simple" and I'm extra patient with them, or the ones that are "vicious, demanding, etc." and I hand it right back to them. They try to tell ME I'm wrong, but I ALWAYS come out ahead. Don't tell me how to do my job, because I'm damn good at it! Just ask me. LOL
OK, off my soap box. I do a good deed every day dealing with people, no one has ever left my conversation mad at me, and if they did, it was their own fault, or they didn't want to listen to the truth or reason. I love my job, I love helping people, but I hate it when people get in my face, try to tell me what's going on when they don't have a clue, and they are extremely rude about it. I just listen, let them rant and rave, then when they get quiet, I ask if they are done, and would they like to listen to some reasoning now .... surprising how a little silence gets people's attention. LOL

 

[humbirdlover]

Which forum is your thread under, HBL? Maybe post something to bump it up the list! I'd love to see exactly what you're talking about, as it sounds different than what I found maybe.

I'm sorry, I missed this post somehow...It's in Pond Photography " Humbird's Green Va Pond"

 

[CometKeith]

wow, CE, That sounds like a tough job. I'm pretty lucky. Most of the people I work with are in business or banking. I think people are always ruder on the phone then in person. When they see who they are talking to they are a lot more considerate. We had a presentation a few years back by a customer service trainer. She said when people get really rude the best thing is to tell them you will have to talk to them tomorrow and hopefully they can talk more calmly at that time. Surprisingly that does work and they either change their tone or agree that the next day might be better when they aren't so upset. I have a friend that works in a pharmacy. He usually knows which ones will more likely give him trouble because they are there because they need medication for high blood pressure!

 

[CountryEscape]

Went to the Covered Bridge Festival yesterday in Mansfield, Indiana, and found some treasurers! Last year I went for 2 days with other friends, looked specifically for a heron statue, but I was picky, wanted it to look the right size and lifelike. Never found one. This year, when I spotted this baby, I was soooo excited! It's really heavy (trust me, I had to carry it to the car!) and almost 3' tall. Looks like the bluing of brass, although it's just the finish, but it's gorgeous!

Then, I found this "spinner" metal art. It has 2 arms of spoon-like leaves that spin in the wind, and man does it spin! I love windmills, and one day I will have a full-sized one, but for not, this will have to serve the purpose. The top arm with the 2 circles of leaves both spin, and rotate around with the wind, so it's very "active".

And, I also got this dragonfly metal art. It balanced on the "perch" and hangs by a chain at the top of the frame, and then there is a bell below it. I can't imagine that the wind would rock it enough to "ring the bell" but by golly tonight at supper, windows open, and I heard the bell ding twice. Maybe a cat was playing with it, but it did ring! I loved the dragonfly even if it doesn't ring in the wind, though.

 

[j.w]

Very cool finds CE............I like them all!