Red Mandevilla On The Back Porch

 

Backyard Rose Is One Of Our Favorite Flowers

 

Our Concord Grapes in July--They'll Be Ready To Eat In September!

 

Day Lilly Near The Water Fall

I bought these for just a dollar at Home Depot at the end of the season last year. I love them! 

Swiss Chard And Broccoli

 

Roma Tomatoes In Progress

 

Water Fall With Astilbe In The Background

 

Goldenrod Growing Very Nicely

Our bunny living under the deck eats the goldenrod during the spring; thus, it doesn't grow as tall as it should.

Elephant Ear In A Pot

 

New Camera

Today we acquired a new Sony digital camera and we'll be putting to the test. It's stuffed with a a 1 gig memory card, so rest assured we'll be snapping off a lot of shots. I've already tried the mpeg function and the resolution trumps the old digital camera hands-down. As of right now we're prepping for the 4th of July festivities that will be taking place in the back yard. Apart from the usual gluttony and unabashed consumption of nonalcoholic beverages, we'll entertain lively conversation, volley a ball without actually playing volleyball, and feed the koi for all to watch and wonder. Unfortunately, the whole family won't be here. The eldest brother and his beloved wife shall be hopping around the Philippines for the next couple of weeks. We are anxiously awaiting their return. In the mean time, as opposed to the nice time, I shall enjoy a much deserved 3 days off from work. Such time off will prove beneficial for I do plan to rest, read, relax, and enjoy the company of my children.

Pond Expansion for 2006

Yes, my precious went to the trouble of expanding the pond's border this year. Compare it to last year's photos at the bottom of the blog.

The plants around the falls grew perfectly this year.  

The fish are doing well this year. We still don't know what happened to one of our prized goldfish. He just dissapeared without a trace. Could it be the racoon we never see be responsible? 

Here's a shot of the moss plant that comes back every year.  

Pond Walk Scheduled

Yes, it is that time of year again where the wife and coworker go off to witness the beauty and splendor of other people's wonderous pond creations. I wish them both well and greatly anticipate both the stories and photographs that will accompany their return. Please, no koi kidnapping--we'll just have to watch our boys grow at their own pace. Pond walk starts the weekend of July 8th & 9th!

Frog Sighting

Our neighbor witnessed a frog in their yard the other day. Perhaps this is our lost Michigan frog we imported 3 years ago. We saw him on several occasions this year while we were checking the inflow tank; he usually sits right on top of the debris screen and stares at us in a perplexed and confounded manner. I wish him well.

Another Shot of the Yard During a Light Rain

 

Clear Water--No Algae Blooms

 

The Pond in June

Here's a wonderful shot of the pond for last days of June 2006. My precious went to the trouble of expanding the border of the pond this year 

Wonderous Back Yard

Winter is now upon us. The fish no longer get fed since they can't digest food at low temperatures.
Heaven In Our Back Yard

Never underestimate the abilities of my beloved wife. She has literally transformed a rather dull back yard into a wonderful space to relax and enjoy. Our little get-away right outside the back door!

Hey, Where Did The Stress Go?

A long day at the office is full of demands. Reports need to be generated, deadlines are always nagging you, and the boss needed that one purchase order that no one can find. Well, by the end of the day you are feeling stressed, irratible, and openly hostile. How does one calm the nerves and sooth the soul? Ah, the sound of rushing water and the anxious splashing of hungry Koi! Yes, a wonderful water feature that literally melts all those frayed nerves and leaves you with a sense of peace in spite of all the chaos you were forced to deal with at the office. Those spead sheets are but a memory as you lean over your beloved pond and sprinkle delicious pond sticks to the begging Koi below. Just viewing the fish as they swim about and devour the German manufactured fish food is a delight. But don't get stuck on the pond--There's more!

In The Beginning

Fear not, oh timid soul. A mere hole in the ground can be transformed into a beautiful pond on which the eyes can feast. The most arduous task in creating such a water feature was the placement of the rocks. The shear weight of the bolders left our muscles aching, but oh how proud we were once the job was completed. Below, you see the beginning of something marvelous. Don't allow an image to distort the true depth; it's only 20" or so deep once it is filled with water!

Work In Progress

Don't be fooled by a mere image. I am only a mindless grunt lifting and placing stones at the behest of my loving wife. Her genius and skill were the true forces of change. I just put my back into it to avoid her ire! Note, the entire endeavor took only the weekend to complete. My impatient koi in the basement were calling out to me and demanding that I hurry up. They wanted better accomodations. They had grown weary of the small tub that was their home for long cold winter. They truely had no idea what kind of upgrade into which they were going to dive. I pondered the idea of making the transition part of a televison program just like the one where families get their dream home built. Ultimately, I decided against it knowing that the koi are rather camera shy and shun interviews. They did give me permisson to post this blog.

The Pergola

Credit must be given to my mother who made the suggestion of placing a pergola behind our garage. That idea combined with the placement of a deck underneath was truely her wonderful conception. The space had been previously utilized as a vegatable garden. We realized that our farming acumen had produced a crop that was basically feeding our family as well as our neighbors. We decided to scale back on vegetable growth since there are only so many fried green tomatoes I could eat in a given week. Here to the left there's a shot of the pergola in transition.

Credit for this marvelous creation goes to my step-father who possessed (and still possesses) the requisite skills that brought my mother's idea to life. He was more than generous with his time and labor.

Both mother and loving wife would sit and watch us toil and on occasion they'd supply us with stimulants in the form of Starbucks coffee and sweet rolls. Some of those days that we worked were real hot ones! The heat sometimes swelled my brain and brought on hallucinations. I would see a vision of a drill in my hand and then a constant repetitive motion of driving a screw into a board. Then the image would fade and be replaced by hands gripping a long board and carrying it. Wait, this is no hallucination--I was actually working!

Precious Koi

Try not to be deceived by their size and fresh water environment. These Koi are voracious eaters and won't let a pond stick go unattended.

Soothing Sound of Water

Below is a shot of the falls. The pump cycles approximately 2000 gallons per hour. The wife and I spend many a precious moments just watching the swimming fish, listening to the cascading water, and sipping tea. We both believe that spending such time relaxes our nerves and strengthens our marriage! My favorite bench is just to the left of the picture below. I'll sit there and toss pond sticks to the begging koi, sip my tea, and simply marvel at my wife's creation.

The Swing

The picture below is our swing chair. A pair of seats with a partition that provides two holes for securing a beverage and lots of space to place of book or a magazine. The cloth top provides some shelter from the sun and rain. It is a very comfortable spot to sit. I've passed out a couple of times. I know this for a fact because my wife is very handy with a camera! Just to the left of the picture is a pink flowered vine called a Mandevilla. This is a tropical plant that won't make it through the winter, so we'll have to take it in during the cold months.

Our Little Girl

My sister-in-law was kind enough to bestow upon us this precious little girl. My wife hasn't decided what is going to grow in her baskets just yet. We are still waiting for her friend--a little boy who will be fishing in our pond.

Another Comfortable Spot

My mother and step-father were generous and thoughtful on my birthday. The hammok below turned out to be a wonderful addition to our yard.

The Big Leaf!

So what are those big green leaves anyway? My wife calls them elephant ears. She bought a couple of bulbs a few years ago and has manage to propagate a substancial number. Don't get fixated on the big leaves. Check out our Concord grape vine growing along the fence (right side of the picture). We had a huge bumper crop this summer. We thought about making wine, but were too busy eating the delicious fruit. Yum yum!