Today's Doings

I set out to get most of the emitter stuff done. I installed somewhere around 40 or 50 more of those.

I wanted to get the tree transplanted - done.

I had to both vacuum and the use the carpet cleaner in the new tenant's bedroom. Done.

Decided to get started on digging out the hole for the 1st pond since the tree was removed. Removing the tree was definitely the right thing to do and where I planted it was a much better location than where I originally had it.

So, I put the pond where I wanted it, got some orange spray paint that I bought from work awhile back, sprayed an outline.

Dug out the outline - all the way around - and then filled it up with water. It is VERY difficult to dig out a large hole in this area if the ground is wet, it is freakin' next-to-impossible dry.

It took my 5 days last year to dig out a hole that was approximately 3-1/2 feet in diameter and almost 4 feet deep for that tree I planted. 5 days. I figure as much for just one pond, maybe more for the first.

I am also going to have to find a bunch of good looking rocks for the permiters of both ponds. Dunno about that yet, haven't even started looking. The task at hand is enough: get the ponds in the ground.

I don't even have enough money right now to get the rest of the stuff I will need, so - no big hurry, just want the ponds in before the heat gets worse. I was out there sweating very nicely today, it was very warm in the direct sunlight.

Newest tenant called a while ago and said she was on her way.
She called again and said her dad's truck got a flat and didn't know when she was going to make it with the first load, but sometime "tonight".

I replied no problem - though if after 8:30 pm, she's on her own.

Oh, and I didn't think about this til' today: fill both ponds up most of the way with water and make sure there are no leaks BEFORE putting them into the ground. Leaks are much easier to fix with full access than when they are already in the ground.

That is a day's worth of doings, if I do say so myself. I got a lot accomplished and yes, I'm happy about that. The drip system? I can now say IS almost done. Just a FEW more plants, maybe a handful, and some modifications on setups I already made and I'm done. Guessing another hour's worth of work. I have nothing more than to go to the valves, turn 2 of them on at the same time, and watch plants being watered while I'm sipping sugar-free lemonade. Lol.

Oh, and to get a glimpse of the heat today:
"Temperatures reached the mid-90s on Sunday, and the warm weather got the best of a few firefighters, Caskey said. One rescuer needed an IV and was taken to a hospital for treatment."

Firefighters had been called to rescue an older gentleman who was hiking, fell some 20 plus feet, injured his head and back. When you come out of a nice, cool, spring, there is always an adaptation time to get used to the heat again. I sat out there and forced myself into the midst of it today because - I hate the heat at this point and the only way for me to get accustomed to it each year is to simply go out, in the direct sunlight - with plenty of water of course - work in it and get the idea that yes, this is going to be life for the next 6 or so months.

According to the weather reports, the high temps this coming week are coming back down significantly. I will be totally focusing on getting as much of those holes dug as possible while the getting is good.

Which reminds me, I must get a misting system up for the dogs to help with handling the heat. I have all the materials I need for that project - lumber; dark shade screen; water access; tubing - I only need the misters themselves. I am going to build an overhand off the back fence with the dark sunscreen and install the misters so that the cooling is to be fund underneath that screen. I have a lot of that stuff left, but I wish now that I would have bought more way back when I bought it from a guy that was going out of business and selling it at unbelievably reduced rates.

Oh well. I still think I should have enough to cover everything I want to do out there.

Done for the day.

Good evening.

ben