"Build it, they will come." - from the Field of Dreams

May 8, 2017 - Monday

20 degrees/clear/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Once again, I slept longer than usual this morning and am running late. This seems to be getting to be more the norm than the exception. What is this? You'd think I'm retired.

Knowing that Sunday was going to be spent digging the hole for the pond, I began the morning by making a backing to go between the flower planter alongside the north wall of the greenhouse. Spanning two aluminum studs, it will distribute any pressure from the outside dirt when making the waterfalls.

It took a couple of hours to move the deer fence and anything inside the garden that might be in the way of the backhoe and equipment.

Using spray paint to outline the deepest part of the pond, we were ready to begin. Since I couldn't see the bucket, Sargie stood close by directing me.

I was careful while scraping the surface as the sod is quite good and we want to use it around the newly installed flag pole, where the old tree once stood.

Sargie kept busy taking the sod to the flag pole, a welcome break, as the hardest work was actually digging and removing rocks from the hole.

During a quick break in the morning, I switched gears and readied the place where one of the giant pumpkin plants will be planted in the next day or two. First came adding a bag of cow manure/compost.

Then erecting a wall of water which will warm the soil and keep the plant from freezing during the cold spring nights. The Wall of Water adds another month to the growing season.

Back to the excavation: The vast majority of time was spent digging, either with the backhoe or by hand, removing rocks, packing or leveling.

After several hours, the hole was finally ready for leveling. You can see the dirt piled high in the flower planter behind where the water falls will eventually be.

An old rug was placed at the bottom to keep any rocks from heaving that might eventually poke through the bottom of the liner.

We finally quit late in the afternoon as Sargie and I were all done in. After quick showers, we ate leftovers for supper and were in bed early last night.

Sargie opens the Vision Center this morning. I'm going for my usual walk then return home to work in the yard and garden. My first chore will be to settle and water the sod around the flag pole.

I hope to get the liner backfilled today and the waterfall built. There are also two or three more Walls of Water to erect and begin repair on several of the raised garden beds. The list goes on and on.

Are we surprised?

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

The pond liner is in the ground, the waterfalls ready to be built over the pool.