The pump/filter is working

August 8, 2019 - Thursday morning

57 degrees/clear skies/windy

Pentoga Road

Another milestone was achieved on Wednesday when the water in the pond reached a sufficient depth to start the pump. Initially, it wasn't all giggles, hugs, and kisses, and for a moment, panic began to set in.

Water covered the top filter which meant all the perforated pipe had to be full. What the heck? Why wouldn't the pump work?

Nightmarish visions filled my head. The bottom filter lay ten feet beneath the surface. How would I ever be able to do any repairs without donning scuba equipment and descending into the dark depths of Pentoga Road? 

Only God knows what could be living down there.

Maybe air was trapped in the pipe. I grabbed a small pail and began pouring water down through the pump outlet, backwards, but quickly found that it was like trying to fill an ocean with water, one juice glass full at a time. 

Hmm. I had a professorial deep thought, rare these days.

I took the garden hose that has been used to fill the pond and stuck it down the outlet of the pump. The water ran... and ran.... and ran. 

FINALLY, water poured out the top. Would it work?

I said a prayer to Baby Jesus and turned on the power.

Old Faithful has never been so celebrated. I stood and yelled, screamed, pumped the air, and said a quick prayer of thanks, then slipped on the wet rubber liner and darn near went swimming. I should save doing cartwheels for real cheerleaders.

I watched, smiling, thinking of what a long journey this whole pond thing has been until it dawned on me that the pump was splashing water out of the pond at the rate of 5,000 gallons an hour. 

It was quickly determined that a 90 degree elbow was needed, something that would cause the water to shoot out over the pond.

I hopped in the Blazer and drove to the hardware store.

While in town, I stopped to see Yooper Brother Mark and share the good news with him. I found the boy standing outside, grilling brats and sausages for his employees.

I wonder if the workers realize how lucky they are? Mark and I gabbed for half an hour and I even managed to snag a brat midway through our conversation. 

Back home, I attached the elbow to the pump and watched as water spewed out over the pond. Within minutes, the water began looking more like a swimming pool than a garden pond.



The skies threatened rain all day. Since, other than today, Sargie's has precious little time off this week, I decided to clean the house, scrub the floors, and do the laundry.

The pool continued to fill intermittently throughout the day. I'd run the water for an hour, then shut it off for two. The cycle was repeated until bedtime. As of this morning, the pond is a mere one foot from being completely full. 

The orchard has been completely ignored this summer and weeds are growing between the bushes and trees where none should be. I began weeding. With all the rain we've received this past week, it wasn't a difficult task.

I was on my hands and knees when I looked up and saw a blueberry bush at eye level. As the kids would say, OMG!!! Blueberry season is upon us.



A half gallon ice cream pail was plucked from the bushes yesterday, a mere taste of what's to come.



I heard a rumble of thunder then felt a drop of rain. Suddenly, I could hear and see a wall of rain coming at me. With pail in hand, I sprinted to the house.



The storm lasted just a few minutes, but it sure came down hard.

Sargie was home early last night and we had a wonderful dinner of deep fried mushrooms and baby zucchini slices. Grilled hamburgers completed the near perfect meal. 

Sargie and I will be towing the trailer to Iron Mountain today so I can purchase the 6x6, twelve foot long, beams for the foundation of the garden house. Those, along with treated 2x6's and three sheets of treated plywood, will make a trailer full. 

I hope to stop along the way and borrow a few lily pad plants to relocate to the pond. The filters will keep the water clear, but natural vegetation growing from the gravel filters will help to keep the gravel clean. 

Okay, it's time to rock 'n roll. Sargie's in the shower so I think I'll continue weeding the orchard until she's ready for the day. 

The rhubarb leaves are huge. I never thought so much rhubarb could come from one little spindly two dollar plant I purchased eight years ago from the local hardware store.

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...