My pond runs all winter, zone 2/3

callingcolleen1

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Thank Goodness the mad rush at the grocery store is finally over! I was so tired after working today, stocking pies non stop, that I had to have a little snooze this evening for a hour. Now I can rest and enjoy turkey with my dear mom. sweet hubby, and special nephew tomorrow!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!
 

callingcolleen1

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Today I added water to the three connecting ponds. I run a hose out the bathroom window and keep it dry and handy this time of the year. My water level on the bottom pond can drop in the winter cause the water is displaced and turned into ice on the upper ponds and then because I use one big 1500 watt heater to keep holes open in the connecting ponds, lots of water can evaporate as the difference in water temperature and air temperature is much greater in winter.

Caught that fat Poppy walking on the bottom pond again! This time the ice made a large Cracking sound!

 

j.w

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I heard that huge crack..............Poppy you are gonna get wet one of these days :eek:
 

callingcolleen1

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20150106_121436.jpg
Yes that fat Poppy has got to stop walking on pond! Right now the bottom pond has hard ice shell over most of the bottom pond and covered in a ton of snow! Snowing tons of fluffy white snow. non stop, and I am wondering if it will ever quit!
 

callingcolleen1

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Very Early this morning, it was Minus 31 Celsius, (-36 with wind chill) That's like real cold in Fahrenheit ha ha ha

I have more water actually circulating this winter into the top pond, because I decided to leave the big pump in and just lower the hose, so that it never actually touches the air, and now I have much less ice on top pond, probably cause there is more water circulating from the middle pond, where the heater is.

I also found that just moving the hose around and placing it at different angles in the pond, created different size openings in the ice, so you can make the water openings in the ice much larger, just depending on water flow rate and where hose is placed.

OF course I also have the big red 1500 watt heater sucking lots of electric power too right now! Thank goodness for that or my pond would be froze pretty hard. Last year I used mostly the 1250 green heater but never used it this year yet, will use it when I can find where I put it. Although the smaller heater means much more ice on my pond.....

you can see all the stream rising off the ponds when it is that cold. That means much more evaporation cause it is just like a kettle of water on a hot stove.

 
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j.w

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Gosh Colleen I don't know how you can spend so much time outside there. Guess you are just used to it. I would be huddled in front of my wood stove hoping for Spring.
 

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I was in a tank top today while walking. Started w/ hat, gloves, sweater, coat and half way through I had it all in my back pack. Well I did keep my pants, underwear and top on and my shoes and socks :D
 

addy1

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I was in a tank top today while walking. Started w/ hat, gloves, sweater, coat and half way through I had it all in my back pack. Well I did keep my pants, underwear and top on and my shoes and socks :D
So glad to know!
 

callingcolleen1

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Topping up ponds today. The extreme cold weather has caused lots of evaoration off bottom pond. The stream has been rising like crazy off large open sections of ponds that are free of ice.

It is easy for me to just throw the hose out the bathroom window and add warm water, very slowly into ponds and let hose run for 20 minutes. That is how come I never need to change pond water probably, cause I add lots during winter periods. The bottom pond looks small right now cause mostly covered in ice shell and then lots of snow piled on top.
20150111_114616.jpg
 

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