And We're BACK!

Well, that hiatus took a lot longer than expected due to 2 things:

1. old cable in the walls that is so weak it is basically broken, thus leaving us internetless for a couple of weeks.

2. the amount of work we had to do to this place- of course, more than we expected. and can any project ever be easy or just normal? no.

Therefore, I will be posting about stuff currently happening while weaving in stories about moving and the house.

Today we talk pond removal. Oh yes, pond removal. We didn't realize we were pond owners until we received a letter at our new house that read, "Dear Current Pond Owner". That is when we realized that we did not just have a little fountain in the backyard from the previous owner, but a pond. The funny thing is that ever since I have known Joe he has said that he someday wanted land with a pond. Well, there ya go.

Now, why the removal? This pond, even when plugged in and "moving" was the mosquito hotspot of the neighborhood. That place was hoppin'. After we and (Grayson!) were covered with bites from minimal exposure (not to mention the safety issue once G is mobile AND the wet dog issue) we decided to remove. Shockingly, none of our friends had pond removal experience.

I forgot to take a "before" picture, but here is the process:

First of all, here is the area that was PREVIOUSLY filled with monkey grass, and Hank would lay in it. As you see, there is now just dead grass and what you can't see is holes. The stones in the back have been thrown in (from the pond removal) to fill one hole. If any of you know Hank very well, OR ever stepped foot in our South Carolina backyard, you know that he has a special gift for excavation. He has wasted no time.

Ok, so the picture I was going to put HERE was a picture of the hole the liner left, but alas you can't tell that it is an 18 inch hole, so no pic.

This is the pond. It previously had a fountain in the middle. It is currently for sale on Craigslist.

We filled the pond hole in with the remaining stone, hose and cinderblock. We filled the rest in with sand and topsoil, which of course Hank has already made great progress on today. I would love to show you another boring picture of the filled in hole, but I am too lazy to go take one.

Sorry there are no pictures of Grayson today. Truth be told, we missed about a month of his life (photographically speaking) while working on this place, but I hope to remedy that tomorrow!