Rock Auditions

I stink of algae. Apparently soap and water and a scrub brush are not enough when you've spent the weekend marinating in pond water. And my bathtub had a layer of fine brown dirt after I washed my grubby self. So I stink, but I'm not dirty. Hopefully a morning shower and some Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion will remedy my little odor problem before I head off for work.

Why would I wade about in pond water? Because I didn't like the sound I was getting from my creek. It looked good but I couldn't hear it unless I was right on top of it. I started thinking that I hadn't gotten a big enough pump, but then realized that if I could create some turbulence in my creek flow I would probably have more, and louder, water music.

I enlarged the inlet to the pond, ripped out the old creek bed and filter/reservoir, and started playing around with ideas to add subtle riffles, deep-toned drops and babbling soprano tones. One thing led to another: I also reshaped the pond shelves which meant removing all the rocks from the pond; moved some boulders onto the edge; re-routed the electrical cord; and graded in preparation for landscaping.

I feel like I opened a can of worms when I started this whole pond project. I'm an idea person, not an engineer. Unfortunately, it's my project so I get to be Chief Engineer on this one. Now I know how my sweetie feels when I come up with a "why don't we do this...?" comment. That won't stop me from launching myriad remodeling projects in the future, but I might have a bit more sympathy for the poor guy.

One huge change that adds music to the pond is a six inch cascade from the creek to the inlet. Constructing the creek means installing the lower end first, so my current challenge is to find some interesting rocks to fit the space, ones big enough to seem like a natural fall yet not overwhelm the space. Seems pretty simple since I've collected a lot of pond rocks. It's hard to visualize things when I'm dirty, tired and sweating with no end in sight. So I grabbed my favorite decision-maker aka my digital camera. Then I began heaving potential boulders into place.

Here's a nice smooth tall dude.

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A little shorter and bulkier

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Very similar. Also shorter, fits against the railroad tie and has a little topography for added interest.

Choice number three it is. Now to choose a rock for the other side: I have a big one that I was gonna put along the pond edge, but it just might anchor the left side and look great with the rock retaining wall that I have to re-build now that I've graded the soil.

I'd have it almost finished if it wasn't for a soccer game which SOBO won 7 to 1, planting the Queen Mother's new deodor cedar, mowing her lawn and trouble-shooting her pond which somehow is losing six inches of water a day. Weekends are just not long enough.