HEATER OUT - PUMP IN

I took advantage of the warm, sunny weather we're enjoying to disconnect the pond heater, [shouldn't need that for a while], and reconnect the water pump for the pond water fall. I've fitted the pump hose into the back of a clay jug which lies on it's side next to a standing clay jug. But getting the pump into the water and getting the jug positioned right means a dip and wade in the pond. Since the water is around 4' deep and the bottom has two or three inches of mud I use Chest Waders to wade around in the pond.
About 5 years ago I didn't use Waders and, stupidly, went in, as I always did, in bare feet. I must have had a cut on my left foot as it got infected and became swollen and very painful. I ended up at the Doc's and got a lecture on being an idiot [he's a good Doc!!] and a course of anti-biotics. I always use Chester Waders now!!

Anyway, I got the Jug at the right angle, adjusted the rock ledges underneath to get the right splashes and sound to listen to from where I sit. On putting the pump into the water and onto flat stones to keep it off the bottom so that it wouldn't suck in mud, I discovered it was freezing, and I did that as fast as possible:WINK1:

Then I climbed out and sat on the bench to listen to the sound of splashing, moving water which I find is a great de-stresser. That deserved a mug of tea and half an hour sitting there listening to it.

 

Tomorrow, WG, tomorrow

 

With tea, or coffee,or a cold beer. or a glass of wine......yours is in the post, unless you're there tomorrow, WG

 

Here's the waterfall that I made yesterday at the pond after taking out the pond water heater and reconnecting the water pump and that I promised Water Garden I would so. It's nothing fancy just water coming out of a clay jug lying on it's side beside an upright jug. But I do have an ideal sound I want from the waterfall, a mixture of burbling, chuckling, sploshing sounds that I once heard at a small natural waterfall on the River Welland in Rutland when fishing. It's funny how certain things stick in your mind and memory, but I do find the sound of a stream or gentle waterfall relaxes and gets rid of the stress if you listen to it.


The jugs sit on a large flat piece of slate rock that I retrieved from a site in the Welsh Mountains where they were blasting a road through to connect a village. In fact, most of the stone around the pond is Welsh Slate. The main step down into the pond area is a piece of slate weighing around 80lbs, and I do remember lifting that piece into my car......my aching back!







Like I said, it's the sound that's more important to me than the visual side, although that is important too. I try to keep it looking as natural as possible, but I was toying with the idea of raising the height of the large flat stone say another 6" to 8" to increase the depth of the waterfall. But I'm not sure if increasing the height will make it look wrong and unnatural.........any ideas?



I had to go back into the pond for a second time to take the pics, hence the not so clear water, and this is where my Chest Waders dry...........and No, I'm am not in them

 

The only other "problem" with the waterfall is that it can get obscured by the plant growth from side of the pond and the Bog Garden, like so:



So I can hear the waterfall in the Summer, but I can't see it!!

 

My life long friend was in the Submarines in the Navy but got claustrophobia and had to come out on top!!!, he's got an fear of water gurgling and flowing in somewhere too!!

 

Any one, including my friend, who was in the "Boats" gets my respect. Us fella's in the RAF, rif-raf, on the operational side, were more laid back and us groundcrew called ourselves "Penguins" as we were birds that didn't fly.......unlike our pilots who we referred to as our "Steely Eyed Killers". Never thought then that I'd been gardening and making waterfalls.

 

When I left the RAF after 22 years I didn't join any of the organisations like the British Legion or RAFA as I didn't have the time, too busy raising a family, paying the mortgage etc. Besides it wasn't my scene to be supping pints and swapping stories about the "old days". I was proud to have been in the RAF and had some really interesting job and postings but when I left I didn't have any hankerings to keep any connections with it.