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Here I would love to share with you our travels and adventures as international mushroom consultants. MEMOIRS about husband Pieter Vedder, who was a SCIENTIFIC PIONEER in Mushroom Cultivation Education. His practical handbook is in 9 languages and is called the MUSHROOM BIBLE: https://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2020/08/modern-mushroom-growing-2020-harvesting.html

Friday, August 6, 2021

Cleaning Our Pond and Fountain

 Not an easy task for keeping the fountain on the rock island in our pond running smoothly, as seen in the Middle Georgia Magazine Video that starts with our fountain.
Also for cleaning up the pond...
Pieter used our inflatable rubber boat to get the job done, using a special foot pump.
Another dirty job...!
Trying to dredge all the unwanted things out of the pond's edge and putting them on the lawn for gathering up later in the wheelbarrow.
This is also the way how Pieter had to peddle up to the island that he'd build where the fountain was placed.
Hoisting treated wooden poles into the bottom for building the platform.
On top of the platform natural rocks got placed, that we found on our property. In the center the fountain got placed.
The filter of that fountain often got clogged up... so he had to go there and take it out for cleaning.
Our pond is BIG, in this photo you can still see on the left the rock island.
SEVERAL times, his boating adventure went wrong...
Pieter also used to tie a rope on the oak tree for holding onto.
And another rope onto the willow tree that we had in the back of the pond.
By working on the fountain's filter and fastening it again in the center of the rocks, Pieter pushed the boat away and ended up in the pond.
This happened after lunch, as I still was cleaning up dishes before joining Pieter in the garden for weeding...
When I came downstairs, his jeans were hanging over the retainer wall alongside our driveway... all wet.
What happened?!
Oh, I fell into the pond... was Pieter's reply.
And you did that without me being there, seeing it and laughing my head off?!
Pieter quickly did hose down himself and his jeans, on the driveway and changed into dry clothes for the next attempt.
Oh, by doing this, he also lost several of his tools, they're at the bottom of the pond...
When the snapping turtle started knocking off the big rocks by climbing onto the fountain's platform, Pieter gave up going there for straightening the fountain and for cleaning it up.
He finally removed the entire platform.
Also because mice had chewed holes into the no-longer-inflatable boat!
Oh, keeping up with a nice and romantic pond can be so much fun.

Do you have a pond?

Related link:
Our Garden at the Time we had Access to Spent Mushroom Compost | video showing our pond's fountain at beginning...

26 comments:

  1. Hay que emplear el ingenio, para que todo pueda ser algo más fácil. Al final no importa el esfuerzo, si se obtiene un buen resultado.

    Besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Querida Antónia,
      Sí, el resultado final se alcanzó, pero este tipo de trabajos siempre fueron difíciles.
      Abrazos,
      Mariette

      Delete
  2. You two are really amazing. The hard work and planning that you do. I hope the pond was not too deep and Pieter was safe. Did the turtle attack when he was in the pond?

    God bless.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Victor,
      Thank you and yes, there certainly was a lot of hard work to be done for reaching the end result. The pond is about 2 meter at is deepest and frankly at that time we did not know yet about the snapping turtle. Pieter got out quick!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  3. Dearest Mariette,
    Your pond is much, much bigger than ours, but they all come with the same basic maintenance problems.
    Years ago we had a baby snapping turtle show up in our pond. We relocated Little Snappy to a nice quiet spot in a nearby river.
    Often friends and acquaintances seem a little envious of our homemade pond and pool and talk about getting one or the other. I always say if you don't enjoy the day to day messing around maintenance that is needed, don't even think about it. Unless of course you are rich and want to hire someone to do the work. But what is the fun in that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Suzi,
      Yes, our pond is quite big. Pieter had it dug back then for getting dirt to fill in other swampy areas for grading. It also has a continuous running spring well on the deepest side. Pieter designed an overflow pipe into the creek.
      Yes, a pond and pool don't come without hard work!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  4. Thankfully, after reading your story here, we have no ponds on our property, Mariette. I'll leave all that work for someone else!
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Martha Jane,
      Well, both of us never have shied any task!
      Establishing a garden is not easy but we did it.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  5. They are beautiful, but they have quite a bit of maintenance. We have a small fountain.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Anne,
      Yes, the maintenance is a returning job.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  6. Hello Mariette, These are quite out-of-the-ordinary adventures in creating an attractive garden feature. I don't know about Georgia, but in Ohio a pond like that would attract many Canadian geese, which can be quite a nuisance. My high school had a small lake, and I took it upon myself to take the small rowboat we had and circle around the shore to remove all the bits of litter that had accumulated in the reeds or by the edge. A garden or a campus always should look pristine, even if it involves a little extra work.
    --Jim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jim,
      Yes, they certainly were out-of-the-ordinary adventures but in the end it paid off.
      We do have many Canadian geese at a larger pond nearby but we never had them.
      Good for you to use the small rowboat while at high school for cleaning up.
      Yes, if possible things in any garden ought to look tidy and well kept.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  7. Oh my gosh the first thing that my eyes saw was the gorgeous trees Mariette, what a beautiful sight, they look like they might be going into autumn colours. I do love trees so much. No fountain, just the pool..which believe me gets used a lot! With our really hot summer temperatures, warm in autumn and spring also, it gets used for the majority of the year and is wonderful for the children, and adults when we have parties. Thankfully these days it's not hard to keep pools clean, Creepy Crawlies do an excellent job 😉

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Grace,
      Yes, that photo, taken from our balcony on November 19, 2000 was the only image I had showing the pond's size well.
      It is great when you have a pool that is being used a lot and indeed the Creepy Crawlies are a great invention.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  8. A huge pond and a lot of work to keep it well maintained.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Sami,
      Yes, all things take lots of work for keeping it looking nice and clean!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  9. A lovely pond Mariette. I like the color on the trees in the picture showing the size of the pond. So pretty are these ponds on property such as you and Pieter's, but never as many I guess, think about the work it takes to keep them looking this pretty. Happy Sunday, Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Betsy,
      Thank you and yes, before it is presentable like in that autumn photo and also in the video by Middle Georgia Magazine, it was lots of hard work!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  10. Pieter and his pond adventures! I can understand how hard it must have been for keeping your pond and huge garden in such a perfect condition but its beauty is certainly rewarding!
    Take care, dearest Mariette! Many hugs!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Marie-Anne,
      Oh, I missed some good laughing time but all in all, Pieter managed to get it done and looking nice.
      We enjoy it, our little paradise.
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  11. No pond here but daughter number 1 has a lovely pond oppersite the new house they are building

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Jo-Anne,
      Sounds like that is a nice pond if you use the word lovely.
      Hoping that the house building goes all as planned!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete
  12. Best Excuse Ever , I Fell Into The Pond - I Will Find A Reason To Use That Line Tomorrow - Big Hugs

    Cheers

    ReplyDelete
  13. Everything is a lot of work to maintain, the good news is that afterwards you have a good leisure area.
    xoxo
    Coisas de Feltro

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dearest Christina,
      Yes, this hard work is always rewarding for sitting in the gazebo with a nice view!
      Hugs,
      Mariette

      Delete

Thanks for your visit and comment.

Mariette...

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MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS © 2009. All rights reserved - Text and images may not be copied for distribution or sale.

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