The pond dig has begun!

[sissy]

It is not to early for lotus seeds by the time they get big enough to put out side they will be a nice healthy size and have a good start at getting bigger .I started 3 in December .The ones from last year are in the basement because I was not sure they were hardy .

 

[j.w]

Only things blooming here are those little snow drop bulbs but I did notice some buds on the trees formed but will be awhile before any pretty blooms come out and that's prolly a good thing cuz if they popped open and then we get a freeze..........bye bye flowers and fruit!
They are getting plenty of water here that's for sure as we have our rain back today.
I would have been tempted to touch those bullfrogs and see if they moved a little to make sure they were still kicking but then I don't know how they do their hibernation thing............maybe they don't move much?

 

[sissy]

That's what worries me that they will bud out and freeze and I have to find the oil to spray the trees with and if it rains or is dewy out it washes off after awhile .I used to get it at southern states but they have not had in .Keep asking but nothing so far .

 

[CountryEscape]

Trust me, JW, I almost went back several times to the frogs (there are 2, both on same side of pond, about 3' from each other) to touch them, make sure they were alive, but I figured they are in a deep state of hibernation, and since I found one on the bottom dead, I worry that if I "wake" these guys (assuming they ARE alive), they may fumble around and not find a good place to snuggle in again, and may die, so I will be patient for a while longer. I'll try to remember to check on them every few days, see if they are still around. The main reason I think they are alive is that their legs are facing topside up correctly, and they are both hanging over the edge in the same fashion.
Sissy, didn't your dad have a recipe for that oil you would spray on trees if it was going to frost after blooming? The only trees I would have to worry about blooming and then frosting would be my two small apple trees. But, it will be a while before any blooming of fruit trees happens around here.

 

[CountryEscape]

Bad situation when I got home tonight. My koi pond had drained all the way down to about 12-14" of water, part of the liner is floating or has something under it on both the deeper end where the pump is (on a milk crate, thank goodness!!!) and on the other end. Turns out that my line had pulled apart it looks like, drained the pond between the deck and the pond, so some of the water ended up going behind the liner and ended up under the liner.
I sent an SOS to Sissy and JW, knowing they are usually on-line, and Sissy called me back pronto! She gave me tons of reassurance, told me she had the same thing happen 2 or 3 years ago, in a BLIZZARD, and what she did to fix the problem. So, I'm taking her advise and filled back about 12" of water tonight. Tomorrow morning I will add another 12". Right now I filled back to almost the bottom of the plant edge. Yep, my lilies are out of the water temporarily, so hopefully they will be fine. According to Sissy, they will be fine as long as they are saturated, which they are. Tomorrow I will try to fill so they are back under water. Since I have well water, I don't have to worry about chlorine, so don't be concerned about that. My well water is what was used to fill the ponds, and refill and top off so that should be fine. Thank goodness my hoses are in the garage, and totally thawed out. It made me more calm knowing water was being added to their habitat as I chatted with Sissy!
I took some pictures after I'd already added some water. Here are the bulges, you can see them just under the water. They were both actually touching the surface of the water when I started adding the water.

You can see the lily pots above the water, but Sissy assures me they will be fine until morning when I can get them back under water. I know the temps are supposed to be in the 20's tonight, but they are below ground level, and the heat from the water should help keep them from freezing ... or at least that's my hope!
Fish are all safe, saw all the big ones, and most of the small koi. Even was very tempted to capture the goldfish that had elluded me last year, but figured that would stir things up, and I didn't want to make more of a mess than what I already have on my hands. Tomorrow will know more. Probably will go back out tonight and add more water, I'm just pretty worried about them, but not worried the water will freeze. I will check when I wake during the night, and if it looks like it's freezing fast, I'll add a heater. But, the water is all below ground level, so don't think it will freeze overnight.
Guess I procrastinated too long, should have not turned the waterfall back on until I moved that water line ... Hopefully this will not be an extremely expensive lesson.

 

[sissy]

good gosh ce did not know how it looked .your pond lights are the LED as the other ones left out of water will melt your liner .I think you said the were led

 

[sissy]

You are lucky you went deeper as that saved you for awhile longer .Last pic at least looks better .It is better it happened when it is colder out as fish are in resting mode .So they should be just fine .How does the water look coming out of the well . Tomorrow you will want to test the water also .Just to make sure .I tested mine every day for 4 days until I thought it was safe .I used lava rock I soaked well in peroxide and put my pump in the bottom and lava rock on top .Only bigger pieces so they would not get sucked in looking for the pic of it .

 

[sissy]

[sharedmedia=core:attachments:45560]not sure where it is maybe it oh well not it yet .This I think was after a week .

 

[callingcolleen1]

All should be fine CE, sounds like a hose came loose and the water was pumped out of the pond. Your temperature was above freezing today so your lillys should be fine. The bulbs can only die if they are frozen solid. I had something similar happen on the third year I had a pond, like over 19 years ago. I was out of town with hubby and friend dropped by to check pond and told me the pond had almost no water left!! We rushed back to Medicine Hat, three hours later and discovered that the falling leaves had plugged up one of the water ways and caused the water to overflow in the top pond. That was in the fall.

I am sure you were in a big panic when you discovered the pond half empty, as I would have been. I still remember rushing outside when it was very very cold, like minis 30 or more, and getting the pond pumps hoses defrosted and hooking them back up to the pumps in the middle of the night many times over the years.

Then one time many years ago, I had some ice jam that caused the water to overflow and leave the pond, in the middle of the winter, and the bottom pond had next to no water left, like only a couple inches. Thank goodness I discovered it early in the morning and ran a hose out the window and filled that pond back up, fish were all fine cause I discovered it just in the nick of time!


I think everybody has some winter pond horror story at some point or another. We live and learn and adjust the pond or tighten a hose good, and life goes on!

CE, you have had a lot of bad luck lately, so look at it this way, it can't possibly get any worse!

 

[sissy]

closer this one with the snow was just the day before it happened the first pic is after I defrosted everything and shoveled and swept snow away from the pond .You can see the bucket in the middle with the lava rock in it .I did not take pics of it half empty .

 

[CountryEscape]

Thanks, Colleen, and Sissy, the water coming out of my house well is very clear. So far can see all the fish when they come out of hiding under those "garages". Someone called
those shelves turned upside down garages, and I like that description. I know my fish love them, hide in them all winter long.
The worst tragedy happened at 10:30 this morning. My girlfriend that was going to go to the horse fair with me tomorrow, texted me this morning family tragedy, can't go, can't talk. Turns out her husband died of an aneurysm this morning while out of town on a job. He drives heavy machinery. I guess he drove himself to the hospital, but it was too late, they could not save him. She just turned 50 this week. My heart is aching for her. Will go see her tomorrow, as I can't stand staying away. Need to give her some moral support.
So, in my world, that's 2 ... and things happen in 3's. My daughter is out looking at horses to buy this evening, and I told her to drive VERY safely, I didn't want her to be the "3"! I know that's a silly thing, but I am a believer in things like this happening in 3's, so will be extra careful myself.
And, the line didn't come loose, it came clear apart. I think if it had happened away from the pond, shooting water away, there would not be the bulges, but I believe the water drained down the outside edge of the pond, to the bottom. I'll be anxious to see how the liner ends up laying back down with the pressure. I'm sure it won't look near as neat as it was when I initially filled it, but I can't be picky on the folds right now.
Hose is back in the garage staying thawed out, but you can bet I'll be back out there first thing in the morning to run more water. May run it not full force, and let it run all day to slowly fill it, then finish on Sunday.

 

[sissy]

yep things always come in 3 's ,bad and good .scary thing when it starts happening .I have lost sleep because of it at times .Seems like you are always waiting for the other shoe to drop .So be safe your self .Slow and steady with the water so you do not disturb the fish to much is better .

 

[CountryEscape]

Just went outside, checked with flashlight. Fish swimming around like it was springtime! Hoping the water I added was not too much different temp than what they were already in. Then noticed what I thought was a fish swimming funny ... it was a very large bullfrog, trying to find a fold in the liner to tuck himself back under. LOL By the time I got the camera to take some fish pics, they were all hidden under the garages again. Glad I didn't add too much water tonight, but anxious to make sure there is enough water to push that water and/or air out from under the pond, too. As Sissy says, it will go the direction of least resistance, so that will be out the sides. Nothing going to be able to keep it from seeping back out the way it came in, which is a good thing.
And, LOL, went out there to unplug the underwater lights, which are now not underwater, and totally forgot to unplug them since the fish were swimming around. So, gotta get the boots back on and get out there to pull that plug. Time for bed, been a very trying evening for me. Pray for my friend and her son who is a senior in high school! She needs lots of prayers to get her through this tragedy in her life.

 

[j.w]

Your pond will be fine Ce and I will for sure be praying for your friend and her family. So sorry for her and her son's loss.

 

[Fishylove]

Me too CE, hang in there and be there for your friend, sounds like she is going to need it. Glad your fish are ok.
Yesterday my hubby found my kitty Charlie in our driveway dead he'd been hit by a car I suppose. No signs of broken bones or anything, so in must have been internal injuries. I'm sure it was a sight for my neighbors, watching a 43 yr old woman, still in her pajamas, bawling like a giant baby, clutching her dead cat in the driveway ...... On a happy note though. I saw several of the large koi this morning swimmimg near the top. First time since winter set in. So I guess the water is starting to warm up a bit
Tolby senses something is wrong and follows me everywhere whining lol. He's such a sweet piggy
I sure will miss that cat, he was my baby, was there when he was born; last of ten kittens, practically had to revive him, still had the sack over him. He was so tiny, I had to bottle feed him, because he couldnt fight for food.
RIP Charles Leon Bivins