Pond in the foothills

[addy1]

The problem is I sometimes have a hard time finding the trail cams again.
When I do finally retrieve the camera, it always has a bunch of pictures of me walking back and forth right in front of it!

ummmmmmmmmmmmm gps coordinates? Take your cell phone, mark where they are. Draw it on a map, stack of rocks, discrete mark on a tree...........be a treasure hider making a location map

 

[MitchM]

Addy, that sounds like too much work.
Besides, it's kind of fun trying to find the stupid thing.
The dogs always look at me wondering if I've lost my mind.

 

[Mike in Vermont]

I lost my vehicle in the woods once.

 

[addy1]

Besides, it's kind of fun trying to find the stupid thing.

Treasure hunt of your own making!

 

[CountryEscape]

Funny, I thought maybe you brought the trail cams in, and forgot where you stored them! Yikes, they must have tons of photos on them by now, and I, too, would love to see what you have "captured" on them. Maybe it's as much the danger of going searching for them, with the wild creatures that also roam your woods, as it is finding the cameras. Just look at your pics you have taken, and then go to that spot, right?!

 

[addy1]

Just look at your pics you have taken, and then go to that spot, right?!

All trees look a like after awhile........... But good idea lol

 

[MitchM]

I should probably update this thread, but I've done pretty much nothing to my pond this year, other than clean the skimmer a few times this past spring.
The pond had a constant green tinge to the water when the temperatures were warmer, the pond plants that I bought from retailers struggled, the pond water evaporated to the point that I had to top up with hard well water until the June rains arrived, the fish did fine, except for when 4 goldfish were killed by a sudden hail storm.
I was pulling about 20 predatory water beetles out of the skimmer weekly in the spring and noticed that the minnow population was dropping, soon the beetle population dropped off and the minnow population started to grow again.
Now that the water temperature is cooling off (about 50f avg these days), the water is clear down to the 5' bottom again.

Right now I'm waiting for some ice to form on the surface, which I should see within the next month. Once that happens, I'll disconnect the external pump and start up the pond breathers and sink a Laguna 600gph pump on a milk crate to run until next April.

I'm noticing lots of new minnow and goldfish babies that I expect will survive the winter as usual.

Easy peasy.

 

[DrCase]

That's a short season too enjoy the water

 

[MitchM]

You're right.
For the past couple of years I've had ice cover longer than I've had open water.
I'm hoping that running the laguna pump will give me more open water time.

 

[addy1]

Nice little did almost nothing update!
Your pond sounds like mine, I sort of ignore it, maintenance wise. Without lilies I could totally ignore it, but they need groomed now and then.

Hope your water stays open for a while for you

 

[sissy]

I can't imagine ponding in extreme weather conditions like some have on here .Yet I have the nerve to complain at times about my weather .I guess when i read posts like yours I feel guilty complaining about my weather .Shame on me .I do give you and others credit though for not giving up .I remember when it was time for hubby and i to retire he was not sure where i wanted to live .He thought I would want to go back to PA and when he asked that ,I just looked at him like he was nuts and said are you kidding it is freaken cold up there .We then traveled to VA and looked at lots a year before we built or in my case had built in a factory .I love my modular house and I knew the cost of it and no surprises .Well except for the over 400 ft deep well .I took friends out last week to look at the new models now .158 thousand for 2110 sq. ft. which includes well septic and covered front porch and deck all made of composite .Can also be expanded to 2600 sq. ft .I paid 89 thousand but it did not include porches or decks so price is not that much different .I would do it again .

 

[tbendl]

feel guilty complaining about my weather

You? Lol How do you think I feel... Hehe I do admire those of you who deal with winter and have a pond. Great point Sissy.

 

[MitchM]

I feel sorry for the fish. Can you imagine spending 6 months under ice?
I also consider you folks to be the ones that live in extreme weather conditions. Summer is my least favorite season. I get nothing done. It's too hot. I get way more accomplished in the other 3 seasons.

 

[tbendl]

Can you imagine spending 6 months under ice?

You can't? Are you sure? LOL

I also consider you folks to be the ones that live in extreme weather conditions.

See I think that's great, that means we are both exactly where we are supposed to be.
I do envy you that first snow fall though, it is so pretty and peaceful. It just gets cold and ugly here during the winter.

 

[MitchM]

Sissy, real estate here is expensive because of our natural resourses. Farmers are having a hard time.
The forested 1/4 section that we are on was close to $1M. We have farmers trying to make a profit selling wheat with our short growing season and raising cattle, which is only fetching reasonable prices this year, after the BSE problem many years ago.