Tootfinder

Today's #poolpond progress building the inner rock wall. Rock stacking. 🪨 🪨 🪨
#diy #backyardProject #pondlife #rocks

we are now on Stage 3 water restrictions! No fill *or* topping up of ponds or pools! So that definitely captures the #poolpond ;)
I'm going to go get an adapter for my little pond pump hose so it can hook up to a regular garden hose and we'll use all the #pool water for watering the gardens over the next few weeks until the rains truly return.
#Fire #PortAlberni #UnderwoodFire #Water #ClimateChange #Drought #DIY #BackyardProject
https://socialbc.ca/@alberniweather/115036554816818531

some closeups provided by my lovely partner-in-crime.
We made a gap for the arbutus tree to grow into :)
New fence posts always remind me of soldiers when they have the supports holding them up.
#PoolPond #Fence #BackyardProject

There be posts!
They're going to reuse part of the back fence and both gates there since they are still in good shape. The bare posts look so gigantic. lol. The finished fence will be 6.5-7ft... but who wouldn't want a 10ft wall of wire lol
Looks like the pond gained about 12 inches of water over the past few days of rain. I had mostly emptied it on Sunday.
#PoolPond #Fence #BackyardProject

I don't think I have twisted off the cap for the cleanout since I bought the whole assembly... 5months? I only slid the end into the pipe in August so hadn't needed to screw off the cap. It took some leverage/persuasion to turn it.
But I was successful, and now the big filter can be drained. The water was actually higher than the bottom of the cap but no big deal, it's not really under any pressure.
#poolpond #diy #backyardproject #portalberni #gardening #pondlife

emptied the pond overnight. We have had so much rain this past month! All are full. I am going to drain it all and keep it drained until I get the pumps wired and can habe them installed and running. Don't want the water to get stale and unhealthy.
I think I might hire a stone mason to build the wall.
moving the pump into the intake bay now. It should be empty by the time I am back from the day's ceremonies.
#poolpond #diy #backyardproject #portalberni #gardening #pondlife

This is the manifold typt thing that I am currently roughing together for the 2nd pump from the main pond.
The through pipe will go to the filter and the two offshoots will go to the bottom returns and side sorayers which are both meant to keep the water in the pond moving toward the pump bay and discourage settling on the bottom
#poolpond #diy #backyardproject

pick up a rock
clean a rock
move a rock
place a rock
pick up a rock
clean a rock
move a rock
place a rock
#poolpond #diy #backyardProject #watergarden #pond #pondlife

2/2 Then it was time to decide exactly how to create the manifold to direct the return water back into the pond or into the filter. I decided that I wanted the manifold to be well within the pond liner in case anything was leaking so I cut the black tube and extended the PVC to meet it into the main area of the pond.
One valve goes to the bottom return sprayers. One valve goes to what will be sprayers along the long edge of the pond. And the last valve allows water to go into the filter.
Note to self: at least one of these valves must be open at all times if I don't want to blow up the pump :-)
#poolpond #diy #backyardProject #watergarden #pond #pondlife

Thank god it wasn't too hot today (only 27°C). It still felt like a million degrees in the hole as I pulled and shifted and adjusted the pond liner so it would lay flush against all the contours of the hole and gradually locked it in place with the gravel.
All the gravel bottom is in. The bottom plumbing fixtures are set. And I even managed to start playing with how the stairs might look/work.
I ran out of steam after shoveling/hauling/spreading the last load of gravel 🥵 🪏 🪨
#poolpond #backyardProject #diy #pondlife

managed to convince the little pump I am using to empty the ponds to get water all the way over to the 1000 L water tank to use for watering everything while we are on restrictions
Turned the big pump on low. It's now at 23 W at 35%. Stream still flows nicely.
#pondlife #poolPond #BackyardProject #water

A little rearranging in the backyard to get stuff away from the fence lines. Builders coming on Wednesday for our new 6.5ft fence and gates!!! Eeee!!
(must keep kids out per-water-bylaw, and also discourage the munchy deer friends!)
A little rainy while I worked but it was nice. :)
Also took out the top of the tall white pipe. The joint is only 2 inches below the rocks. No one will melt having to unscrew the top with their hand in water. : )
#DIY #PoolPond #BackyardProject #Home #Today

Progress.
Attachments and hose lengths made final for the second pump. Caps drilled with holes for each return bottom outlet. Three loads of gravel dumped into the #poolpond for the floor. Then I realized there was a section of the wall near the yellow crate that was not actually touching the inner wall, meaning there was a gap. Not good. But the sun has broken through the morning fog so it’s too hot in the hole now to fix it. Will have to wait until Labour Day!
This weekend is the 1 year anniversary of renting the digger to make the holes! I am about where I figured I would be one year later :)
#backyardProject #diy #pond #pondlife #gardenpond

Now that we have had our brief bit of fun with the #poolpond, it’s time to drain it so work on completing it can continue! It took just over 12 hours for my little spare pond pump to empty the main pond of about 80% of its water.
It will be empty by morning. I will empty the filter and intake bay as well just to clean everything out. The movement of the past couple weeks through the system will have loosened up a bunch of the gunk still on the various rocks in the filter so a full pump out should remove all that.
I will then concentrate on finishing the piping in the bottom of the main pond for the intake for the second pond and the “periscope” for the bottom returns.
Then I can work on building the rock wall to line the inside of the pond. Or at least experimenting to see if it will work at all!
If it *does* work and I have enough rock to at least start on the bottom layers of the inside wall, then I’ll be able to achieve another milestone: placing the final pebble on the bottom. Important, because that will prevent any groundwater from infiltrating and causing the rubber liner to bubble out.
Really really want to get past that mark before the autumn rains come! For obvious reasons! ☔️
Other jobs that need to be done before winter:
- finish the manifold for the second pump to distribute water to the sprayers and filter and figure out how and where to house and conceal it.
- Dig the electrical trench from the house all the way around the long side of the pond to the back tool shed so we can start wiring it in.
- Clipping the wires on the pumps and adding extension wire to them so they can reach said electrical supplies.
- permanently shore up/modify the borders of the ponds where they were found to be low.
- make a few other minor terraforming modifications for the stream and some of the edges so the water goes a little more where I want it to and a little less where I don’t.
#poolpond #backyardProject #portalberni #ponds #watergarden

different flag today. 🇪🇸 #poolpond #backyardproject #pondlife #portalberni #hot #summer

and since it is a poolpond day surely that also means SANGRIA
#poolpond #backyardproject #pondlife #portalberni #hot #summer

The water is surprisingly chilly but on 35°C day, it is absolutely perfect.
SUCCESS
with: @…
#poolpond #backyardproject #pondlife #portalberni #hot #summer

Feels like a #poolpond day.
But first… need to get Sangria mixings!
#poolpond #backyardproject #pondlife #portalberni #hot #summer