26th April 2009 “People with goals succeed because
they know where they're going" - Earl Nightingale
Johnny didn’t work today and being Saturday this was awesome. With the above inspiration we decided that the projects on the cards for this weekend were two fold. We decided to work on the duck pond and eradicate the pile of pruning which has been lying on the side for so long now I’m sure the cuttings have grown roots! Thank goodness for the tractor. It was used to build up the walls of the pond. Johnny dug in to use some soil and he hit clay. The children and I sat on the side lines making clay objects with the bits that were tossed out which was fun. They didn’t last too long as Johnny rode over them with the tractor pretty soon after we left them out to dry. What a pity as I didn’t get to take a photo. I suppose the clay in the ground is good as not much water will get through. Johnny got busy with the backbreaking work of hoeing the ground in the pond, as there was grass growing in it. After that we laid some plastic on the bottom of the dam, which proved useless as we were to discover later on. After that my clever husband remembered that Paul (previous owner) had mentioned that he thought there was a pump and pipe at the top dam which would feed the pond now. Now to find the pipe was going to be a challenge. Johnny sorted the pump out first and by sheer luck located the pipe which led all the way down past the pond site. Hooray! We were in business. It wasn’t long before the pond was filled to the brim.
Now the next thing I’m about to tell you will make your hair probably stand on end. My beautiful children decided they would like to snorkel in the pond! Out came the snorkeling equipment and flippers too! My first thoughts were “oh no you’re not” but after whining and wearing me down which seemed like forever, I confess I gave in. After all it would create a funny memory and as Laura Ingall writes and I quote
“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” – Laura Ingall
What’s more simple fun than a swim in a newly laid pond on a crisp autumn morning!
Sunday morning we had our first double yoked egg. I was so pleased. After breakfast, the men in my life went off to complete the pond. They discovered the plastic had lifted and water had gotten underneath. It wasn’t doing much good so we decided to lift it out, fold it up and hope for the best with the water. The ducks swam in the pond most of the day and enjoyed every minute of it. They sure appreciate having there own water hole after all. We are still to put a gate up and clear out the chicken hutch which is currently storing what must be a hundred logs of wood.
The pile of cuttings was burnt to a cinder and at long last the ground is clear of pruning in that spot. It sure does look good. We made so much smoke that I thought Iris would call the fire brigade at one point. But she didn’t and this afternoon she waved vigorously at me. She’s obviously very please that the eyesore is gone too and was quite willing to put up with the smoke. Bless her heart!
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