We've had so little rain here recently that the middle pond has now
dried up. I shut off the pump for the air stone because the gentle
bubbling from the air stone had turned into a rather sinister hiss.
Right now the bottom of the pond is a bit muddy, but in just a few
days I wouldn't be surprised to see the bottom rock hard and dry, dry
enough that I can probably drive the tractor and bush hog down into it
to do some real heavy duty weeding.

However, late last year I began digging a tiny pond in the back in an
old fire pit. Being as how I am no longer the earth moving machine I
used to be, it took me about a month to dig the silly thing, and it is
only 2 feet deep at the very deepest. The skimmer is way too low and
the liner is wrinkled. The cinder blocks lining the thing should be
down at the water's edge. It is a textbook example of things to avoid
while building a pond. But at least it holds water. There are no
fish, and if I get around to it, all the holes in the cinder blocks
will eventually have plants, and my fervent hope is that eventually
the plants can grow enough to hide many of my mistakes. That being
said, here is a picture of the backyard mud puddle that holds water:
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...n012008012.jpg
Don't ask me what plants are there now, I don't remember. My style of
gardening is to stick a plant in the ground (green side up, if the
plant is lucky) and see if it grows or dies. By the time I can tell
if it is worth remembering the name of the plant or not, I have long
since forgotten the name anyway.

Galen Hekhuis