Tootfinder

1/2 #poolpond update since my last post got unintentionally deep-sixed and now there is further progress!
on Saturday and Sunday we got supplies and I installed the irrigation box. It involved digging Yet Another Hole, plus small trenches on three sides to accomodate pipes from the main water areas.
Convincing the valves/manifold to fit into the box was a chore, but we got there!
Also fed the main pipe line through the box which yes, involved disconnecting it from the filter pond end, and basically feeding the filter box along the pipe, back to the hole.
In all it turned iout well. I will be removing/rearranging the stream near the tree and adding another layer of liner just for that doversionary stream so I can contain/isolate it fully if I want and also feed the two pipes exiting toward the big pond under the stream so it is less visible in the end.
Sometimes I feel like as this goes I think up more things to do and it makes it all interminable, but really, it just makes it better!
but wait there's more after the pictures...
#pandemicpond #backyardProject #portalberni #gardening #diy

2/2 Along the same plumbing lines... I am also preparing the pumps themselves.
One major thing to do was to splice in an extension cord to the cord for the pump. Obviously this is a "break the warranty" situation, but there is no way around it really. The included cord is only about 6ft to the electronic controller unit and AC/DC transformer. It needs to be much longer to reach even just the shed beside the intake bay where the main pump lives.
I do have two of these pumps so I am holding off extending the second one until I know this first one is successful and happily pumping away in the pond.
The second one will take water directly from the bottom of the main pond as opposed to the intake bay, but it is only additional capacity and isn't critical. Ideally I will have both on at half power normally. But for now, we start with this one!
Need to get butt connectors and heat shrink tubing tomorrow. Ill probably do this electrical work on Thursday or Friday night so I can test it out hopefully Saturday!
#poolpond #pandemicpond #backyardProject #portalberni #gardening #diy

2/2 Then I moved on to working on finalizing the stream and edges of the poolpond.
After a trial run last fall I realized I needed to do a little more sculpting of the clay at the front of the pond where the bog filter and poolpond meet.
I would like to encourage a long waterfall along the front edge.
So after some peeling back of the liners to reinforce the berm in a few spots near the tree especially, I made a proper ledge at the front and am laying down some of the slate that we also used on the #pandemicpond in the front yard. It'll tie the two in conceptually.
Now I am filling the bog filter with city water (the likelihood of filling from the skies is long gone now) but I will only fill it enough to get a read on where the water is wanting to flow.
Ideally I would like two channels from the bog filter.
The main one will go toward the poolpond, along the front and spill over from there.
A secondary one will go close to the tree to be used if I need to divert the water from the poolpond but still want to keep the filter and system active.
Now I wait... I'm running out of time for today but will be back tomorrow. If I'm lucky, I might be able to get a pump back in and start up the system!
the apple waych strap is hiding a tan line... but it is not just a tan unfortunately lol
#PoolPond #gardening #portalberni #home #yard #bloomscrolling #BackyardProject

My water bill came in recently, which is kind of appropriate considering all the pond talk.
Since building it, the front yard #pandemicPond very very rarely is topped up on its own from tap water. Generally we keep it full from rain water, the rain barrel, or as part of the general low-flow spray/water system for the yard in the summer. So our water consumption really is dependant on how much garden watering we are doing. I'm not surprised we were high last year as we watered the new green-driveway and young trees.
The #PoolPond might, or might not, be different given the sheer volume *and* surface area (ie. evaporation). We have a 1000L rainwater barrel in the back yard, but that would only be useful for replacing evaporation losses at best in the poolpond.
I'll have to fill it once or twice in the coming weeks and possibly once a year if I do an annual cleaning at the end of the summer. We'll see. This year will also feature a return of vegetation to the back yard, so we'll likely be watering it more than when it is established in a year or two.
The city splits our bill into 3 periods per year, which is a little weird but ok...
Our household consumption has varied quite a bit since the pandemic due to changes in household composition (kids moving to uni etc) or us being more or less active in the garden.
I am happy that we used very little water this winter/spring, the least since 2022. I expect it to spike in the current April-August period as both kids have returned and I'll be doing all this pond stuff. But if I can keep it under 150,000L ($150) on the August bill, I'll be happy.
In the coming years, if I can use less in the Fall, Winter and Spring to "save up" for Summer, that would be nice but minimizing all seasons will always be the goal. That's why more trees are going to happen in the backyard at some point. Shade=Less watering!
In all, I'm happy with the only modest rise in our water consumption over the past few years.
#Home #PortAlberni #Water #Bills

4/4 Spent the day today with @… turning the water on and off, and the pump on and off.. watching how the water comes out of the bog filter and down into the poolpond. Pump is only at 25%, which is more like 15% as there will be a second pump as well in time.
Shifted some of the flat stones around and got them in a nice place. I had to do some hand digging under the lining near the tree. I am pretty sure the berm is too low there for when the pumps are at full force, but I am ok with where things are now. There is lots of opportunity to build the edges up if need be.
For now, I am going to work on sealing the rocks along the edge in to help direct the water.
I also need to splice in an extension cord into the pump wiring so that I can run a long enough distance to have the power supply and controller in the small shed and not hiding under the liner at the top of the pond. 🤣
#pandemicpond #PoolPond #gardening #portalberni #home #yard #bloomscrolling #BackyardProject

I'm getting hyped up to shovel rocks into our new garden cart tomorrow.
No really, i think it’ll be kinda therapeutic, even if it hurts a lot afterward. lol
It's been hard to even think about the #poolpond and the next steps for it, let alone do anything. So I really want to try to get some stuff done on Saturday.
#gardening #shovelTheStressAway #backpain

PS.
Here are the two outlets. This is probably not how it will look in the end, but just a starting point. Once I have the water flowing how I want it to, I will use pond foam sealant to lock the rocks into place and force the water into its final channels and patterns but as you can imagine there is some trial and error to be done before that big step.
For noe you can see there is a fold of liner sitting vertically betwewn the rocks to split the channel. I really have no idea where the water will get to once at full force so this might be too high, or too low but it should not be too far off.
The main thing is that the water is contained within the greater system around the tree. That's the trickiest part right now.
It is a wonderful tree. We don't want to drown it.
Speaking of which, if you are wondering about water. Yes. This is thousands of litres of water. But at this point I am not worried if I need to fill up and drain the bog filter a few times. All extracted water will go into the rest of the garden anyway, so aside from a little evaporation, nothing will be wasted.
Still waiting on it to fill. Looks like it won't be full before quitting time. oh well! Back tomorrow water experiments!
#pandemicpond #PoolPond #gardening #portalberni #home #yard #bloomscrolling #BackyardProject

back and muscles say i am done for now but I made a good dent in the gravel. Managed to get all the gravel off the black fabric so that can be stored away. Just a two or three cart loads left but I don't want any nasty back surprises!
Maybe I can look up some folks with a bobcat and book a date for levelling! 🙌 🚜
emptying the poolpond of icky water.
and rhubarb!!
time for tylenol and a snack
/end
#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

Finally managed to weed eat and cut the lawn today and got the last of the gravel moved so that we can get a bobcat in here to level the yard!! Yaaayy!!
Also did some cleaning out on the pond. Turns out the moss is great… until it REALLY latches in and makes space for grass. There was so much into the stream that it was backing up into the top pond, causing it to overflow, and the whole system lose water!
When I pulled up the moss, it pulled much of the gravel with it! So lesson learned. Very light on the moss, no more gravel in the stream, keep things neat and tidy!
In all though, the pond cleared up fast thanks to the barrel filters and all is good!
#pandemicpond #gardening #pondlife #spring #portalberni #backyardPond #PoolPond

Things are growing in the backyard despite the continued #poolPond chaos.
Rhubarb is sprouting fast. A daffodil held on near the hazelnut tree even with all the disturbances.
And the young plum tree is budding!
#Gardening #Spring #PortAlberni #Home #Pond #PandemicPond

Last photos! The arbutus is doing great!!
I am a little worries that the damage it suffered from rutting deer last year will lead to disease. 🤞
But the hazelnut tree is budding!
#poolPond #Gardening #Spring #PortAlberni #Home #Pond #PandemicPond

rocks moved!
Managed to move the last of the larger rock off the blue tarp and spread it around the top of the pond. A tiny hope of mine is that this could be enough to stabilize the liner so that when I empty it of its (quickly algae-ifying) rain water, it doesn't bulge out from the sides. I doubt I will be that lucky so I will have to fill it with city water (chlorinated) to keep the algae and mosquitoes at bay while preserving the shape of the liner until the ground around it hardens up.
The rainy season is winding down!
thankfully i didnt have to use any city water to clean the rocks as I moved them. Just used the hose emptying water from the other ponds.

#poolPond #Gardening #Spring #PortAlberni #Home #Pond #PandemicPond

4 inch rock moved to new spot. And new gravel spot ready,#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

Went to the grocery store. Managed to get most everything for under $200. Came home. Bent over to start putting everything away and my back was like noooooooooope. 🤕
Gingerly put everything away.
Now flat on couch.
No more yard work this weekend 😂
I wish ibuprofen worked on grocery bill inflation too.
#poolpond #home #life #backpain #inflation #affordability

two loads in the cart. One load left on the ground of the 1 inch rocks then it's into the gravel
don't be fooled by what you can see. The black fabric is actually concealing, almost half of the pile of gravel lol
#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

it's time to move the last of this rock out of this back part of the yard to somewhere else so that the mountain of dirt can be flattened and spread out and ready for planting and other things.
The clay is already hardening up!
#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond