The pond dig has begun!

[Fishylove]

LOL! Yep! I think you had another plant in there or I did more like it! Lol
Now I know I remember sending you two different types of coreopsis: moon beam ( the one you have in the pic) and the other "Red" one is actually not all red ( which is what I was told by the lady at the greenhouse :huh: ) its yellow with a red center still very pretty.

Your second picture there looks much more like a sweet bay, I must say if it is, it has grown A LOT since you got it, pretty sure you got a green thumb CE

 

[CountryEscape]

My Boston Terrier puppies will be 5 weeks old tomorrow, and getting calls on them, wanting pics, so thought I would share a few pics I took this evening. I probably took 70 pics in all, and of those very few were "keepers", but here are a few of the keepers.
Darkest male puppy, also the smallest. He's been the most lovable until this evening, and now his sister and brother are vying for that title along with him!

Female puppy is the largest in the bunch. The second pic I love, because I think of the song, "I Love Big Butts" because she sure has one!

This is the lightest brindle puppy, the other male. He's also probably the best marked, having a full white collar.

Two male puppies at the food bowl, from the front, and from the back. You can see the difference in their brindle colors, one being lighter, but they both are really pretty brindles.

And, the Mama that produced these lovable pups, Denali! She has once again been a very good Mama. They are obviously well fed, and are just now starting to eat the dry food, but only after trying several things to mix in with it, and tonight was the key - Caesar's puppy wet food! Only took about 1 tbl to mix in with their food, and they really went at it! Whew, was beginning to think they were never going to eat food!

 

[gardengirl]

What cute little butterballs!!!!

 

[capewind]

OMG you are killing me!!! I wanted a Chi, but hubby said "no rats" and to look for something cute like a Boston Terrier, so starting to look for one LOL ....

 

[j.w]

They are darling CE!

 

[CountryEscape]

I think I have both males sold, $750 each, and the female is only one left at $900. They will be 6 weeks next weekend. Had a guy text me and ask for more info and pics, from my Puppy Find ad. Thinking he is a scammer, pretty sure he is!!! And, glad he wants one of the males, that hopefully is already sold. Think the story is going to go, "I will pay you $2,000, because I have to get that amount, then just give my shipper the extra money but you can keep $1,000 of it" that type of scam. Not even going to give him any more info, just going to tell him both males are sold. If he comes back wants a female, will tell him to send me the money up front, and check or whatever needs to clear before I will allow the puppy to leave. We shall see ... but I was not born last week! Have seen this type of scam many times before. He's from NJ, supposedly. His name is "Williams Anderson". Pretty sure he's more likely from some third world country, has no idea how US names are spelled. We shall see ....

 

[j.w]

I think you are on top of it CE and this guy is not gonna get anywhere w/ you running the boat! Will be interesting to see if he texts back and what kind of line he tries to feed you. Man you really make some good money raising those puppies!

 

[sissy]

Well have a ponder coming today to pick up baby koi and told him they were koi they have whiskers .He built his pond 3 months ago and was waiting for it to cycle .His pond is 20x 15 and 5 feet deep .Told him about the pond sight also .Told him he could have them for free he lives on the next road over from my house so not far .He could not believe I was giving them to him for free .He went to Dana's garden center and she wants 15 dollars for small ones .4 of them to go to a new home .He did not want ones from a pet store or from walmart .I told him people on the pond sight have bought nice ones from both places .Oh well guess free is better . :cheerful: :goldfish: I did see his pond build a couple of times because it is the same road I take to go to my sisters house .I meant him at the post office the other day when I was taking mail there .He was putting up a I want on the board .

 

[CountryEscape]

That is a win-win deal for both of you, Sissy! I have 4 koi from last year, they are about 5-6" long already. One is a gorgeous butterfly, looks just like another one that I assume is it's daddy. Another one is red with black spots, just like another adult koi, so maybe this one's daddy! And the other two look just like another adult koi that I know is a male. They are black with orange head and orange stripe down their back. All are very pretty, wish I could find someone around here that just built a pond and would want them! I DO know someone that just built a pond, but they weren't told about my pond and plants and fish until after they went and bought fish. It's my "hay man's" in-laws. He built the pond for them with equipment. I told him I have 4 koi I would "donate" to their new pond, once they know the water is cycled and going well. Offered free plants, too, but they have yet to come by.

 

[callingcolleen1]

You too nice CE & Sissy! At least your baby Koi will have a nice time not too far away...

 

[CountryEscape]

Grace was outside, down on the edge of the pond, when I was feeding the fish. They splashed her several times before she left her perch and went to the waterfall. They are not used to anything being on the edge of the pond when they eat.

Here is the hibiscus plant that I grew from seed from Sissy! It's about 4' tall, and has bunches of buds on 3 of the stems! Wondering what color they will be ...

And, my hibiscus plant in front of the house decided to bloom again! Gorgeous.

 

[CountryEscape]

Today I decided it was time to do a big water change in the koi pond. I think that the fungicide got into both ponds, and if I get a big rain and the koi pond overflows, it goes into the stream, which falls to the goldfish pond. I've done water changes in the goldfish pond, and the deaths have mostly subsided (I think I lost about 15 fish total), but decided I need to do the changes in koi pond now as well. Evidently, the chemical that was used is similar to Supaverm, which is very useful in combatting flukes disease in koi, but deadly for all types of goldfish. While I was draining water, I hooked up an old bog water line that has holes it in, great for water soaker! Watered the grass, and also filled buckets with the draining water and watered much of my landscaping. Nothing is wasted here!

My skimmer in the koi pond has been too high, when the water level is to the point of overflowing, it still could have been 1" or little more before being at the top of the skimmer intake. So, I decided while pond level was down this would be a good time to redig that area.
Before -

Pulled the pond liner and underlayment back to dig down a couple of inches deeper.

After - replaced underlayment and liner, put skimmer back in place. It may be about an inch too deep, but I can put a flat rock under the corners to raise it to perfect level.

I'll know for sure when I finish filling the pond if it's exactly where it should be, or too low. I didn't want to have to drain the pond down 8" again, just to dig it down another inch, that's why I went bit deeper than I think I needed to. Easy fix to raise it, harder fix to lower it again.
Oh and this morning Grace wanted to go outside. I told her it was raining, she wouldn't want to go out. She insisted she did, so I let her go. Then she pussy footed it to this chair, and sat underneath it as if to say, "Hmm ... it's wet out here, but not under this chair!" LOL

 

[sissy]

Ilike your idea for a skimmer at leat it should not overflow or get cogged to fast .So you pull the water from the skimmer to the pump and then out to the filter and waterfall .

 

[CountryEscape]

Actually, in the koi pond (this skimmer), the water is pulled through, through a coarse filter pad, then thru water pipe to koi bog, filters through bog, back into pond. In the goldfish pond, I have the same skimmer, it feeds the top of the stream, back to the goldfish pond. I like this skimmer, it's small, it is fully inside the pond, no cutting out a hole in the liner. This way I can move it if I want, make it deeper (like I did) and make changes, no problem.
And, if the skimmer filter is clogged, the pump makes a sucking noise, and I hear it and fix it. The neighbor's dog stepped on a stone I had on the side of the skimmer to help weigh it down, then came outside and it was floating. That pump has had that happen to it so many times, sucking air, still going and going! I had the water just barely going into the skimmer, now filling pond some more so that doesn't happen again.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, I just had to post this video I took of the last puppy remaining here. The other two went to their new homes on Sat., this little guy stays for another month, but is half paid for already. He loves to wrestle with his mom. Currently sleeping next to me in my recliner as I type. She wore him out this morning! Last night, I was 0-2 on catching him doing his business in the house, this morning, 2-0! I just need to be more vigilent, and take him out more often. Beautiful weather, so no excuses. Enjoy!!!