I really started this project last year. That's when I removed the old
sod. It got dug by hand a bit, about 6" down in one spot, and interest
from all the back breaking labor faltered. (can you say 'rocks' &
'boulders' repeatedly?) So here was what my husband announced was our
tank trap for lawn mowers.

This pond will be on not so level ground, but a slope. And, like it or
not, it is the only safe place I can dig the pond without worries of the
lawn freak next door endangering it with huge doses of weed killer run
off when it rains. (I've already lost a vegetable garden that way)

I live on an island loaded with Bald Eagles, Blue Heron, all different
sorts of Hawks, raccoons, opossums, salt water otter, an over abundance
of coyote, and lets not forget neighborhood cats.

I have always viewed this as a challenge. (lol) Needless to say, I'm
not intending on stalking this baby with expensive koi, but feeder fish
I can buy at Wal Mart.

I'm hoping that once I get the pond dug and I plant it, if I wait long
enough, these feeder fish would have a chance if I allow the plantings
to take a good hold before stocking it with fish. I'm hoping I won't
have to do the netting thing.

Anyway, yesterday, my 12 year old son suggests we start working on the
abandoned project. I figure this is cool, since I just bought one of
those small handy dandy roto tillers. We begin, and man, we are
cookin'!!! Very proudly, we point out what we have done to my husband
as he's been sleeping. We got the deepest part dug! Cool beans!

Except he very quietly gets out the level...and explains I did it
backwards. I dug the shallow end first, which is now a bit over 2 feet
deep. Quickly he points out though, that the pond will be so HUGE, that
I can easily fix this problem as I dig out the rest of the diameter of
the pond.

I'm really beginning to wonder what else I will learn as this thing gets
dug out....