Tootfinder

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

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

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

The new fence is basically done!!
Funny story that will hit home to anyone on Vancouver Island:
Two days ago the builders hadn’t added the new top section to the big gate in the back. A very large buck/deer jumped the fence and bent the wire so they had to try and bend it back out the best they could”
This is particularly funny for us because the other side, near the chicken coop (before it was there) the old fencing was bent from an over-eager bear trying to climb in.
Just mother nature ensuring balance, new and old, bent and unbent.
I am glad we are now bylaw-compliant for the #poolpond and the edibles should be out of the reach of the larger animals (racoons and birds and cats and squirrels and whatever other small creatures are inescapable)
The arbutus tree is now leaning against the fence. We'll see if it gets the message and grows in a more vertical kind of way naturally relieving stress from the fence, or if we might have to provide in a portal.
The most surprising part they managed to conquer was lifting the grape as high as they did! Very satisfied with that development!
#animals #garden #deer #PortAlberni

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

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

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

got home in the dark last night and left in the dark this morning but there has been #poolpond progress in my absence!
The fence builders started!
They augered post holes. They managed to not cut any pipes or wires in the frontyard pond... the holes are BIG.
Glad the fence is happening though. The rains have come with a vengeance and the ponds are filling fast! I wil feel much better knowing no one can get into the yard and be in danger of falling in.
#building #portalberni #diy #gardening

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

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

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

Had to detach some of the existing fencing from the posts so we can keep it without losing any of the greenery already establsihed.
Now that that is done. BASEBALL ⚾️
go Jays!!
and as I type... GRAND SLAM
#poolpond i #grandslam #mlb #bluejays #toronto #canada