One day in Mid August 2022 while mowing the small plot of grass in our backyard, I had an idea.
Ugh Oh!
What if…???
That’s how all projects begin for me. I wonder…
Flashback: several years prior, I had a pond and it was a real chore. But what if this one could be different? I think it could. I think it would. I wanted it to be much different. Better. Lots better! Less of a chore and more of a pleasure.
But first, the boss had to approve it. It might be over before it even starts.
The boss was not thrilled. Frogs, toads, really! I don’t want a toady mess in our backyard, again!
Flashback: The pond we once had was just that. A real Toady mess. I recall numerous late nights, me with a flashlight, creeping around the pond looking for the offending toad(s). Toads, who had become a real loud problem, nearly every summer night. I was usually successful in my mission and it usually was a little tiny guy. The smarter than your average toad knew the party was nearly over when the flashlight came a searchin’. These smarter variety would swim stealthily to the bottom of the pond to safety, for a moment. But then when the light was off, back to the top they would come.
Thankfully most toads are not that smart and so normally the obnoxious croaking came to an abrupt end with one quick snatch and plop into the home depot bucket. One such night I had to apprehend 6 offending toads but finally there was peace and quiet for that night. Until the next night when more toads seemed to appear out of nowhere. Tadpoles galore! Millions of them it seemed. Would it never end? It did eventually but it was a real chore for several years.
This was our toady reality and that was what the boss was wanting no part of, again. I was in agreement. BUT, this pond would be different.
Better I said. No toads here. Not a single one.
Obstacle one, cleared.
Mosquitos! This will be a mosquito haven, won’t it? Indeed, that can be a real problem. In fact, any standing water in your yard is a good place for mosquitos. I had a plan for that too. Mosquito dunks!
No, not baptizing mosquitos into sanctification. Just the opposite. No mercy on these blood suckers. The dunks are a nice simple way to say, mosquito prophylactics. Mosquito abortion on a large scale. A special little chemical wafer that prevents the mosquitos eggs from hatching. They work great and Big R has them right now.
Obstacle two, cleared.
Now with the obstacles out of the way, it was time for the real sales pitch to begin. I began: Ecosystem. Fish. Birds. Beauty. Nearly every wonderful thing you can think of comes with a pond. Cool summer nights, the clean clear water, the sound of falling water. I had a whole list in my mind of how this would improve nearly everything wrong in the world.
Ok, it probably didn’t solve any world problem but it seemed better to have world problems and a pond than to just have world problems and no pond and so we decided.
A pond it will be.
But now began the hard work.
The diggin’ it,
the buildin’ it,
the testin’ it,
the fishin’ it,
the springin’ it
to finally get to enjoyin’ it.
So come with me through our pond saga.
It was truly an enjoyable process. 15 ton of rocks later and a few sore muscles was worth it.
Over the next several weeks I look forward to sharing our story: Once a pond a time. It might just inspire you to wonder, what if… I had a pond.
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if you did?
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