The pond dig has begun!

[CountryEscape]

Here is that little frog again this morning. I'm thinking it's NOT a bullfrog after all, but not sure what it is. Anyone know?

 

[addy1]

Check out this web site, see if you can pick it out, they have the sounds too

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/animals_plants/herps/ilspecies.html

here is another site

http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/animals_plants/herps/ilspecies.html

 

[CountryEscape]

Haven't noticed him "talk" yet. But, he's been there for the last 3 days. And, tonight, I spotted a tiny peeper or maybe cricket frog, just grayish/brown, little bitty guy, about 1" long. Woohoo!!!! Hope he stays around and brings his friends. Heard a tree frog this evening, friend was over to see my flowers. Not in the pond, probably over by one of my few large trees. I never can spot them when I walk to see them, though, they hide too well.
I looked at the first site, maybe a Southeastern Chorus Frog. I'll have to hopefully hear him sing and then might get a better idea. He sure has pretty copper colored eyes. Either way, I'm happy he's around, and hope he stays. I love watching them.

 

[j.w]

Mine are quiet now CE and always makes me wonder if someone isn't out there sneaking around at night when they aren't singing. I notice they quiet up when I get too near. Guess it's all the drama getting to me around here right now. I'll simmer down as time goes by I guess.

 

[CountryEscape]

This morning heard a bullfrog on the farm pond so they are not done breeding yet! Big plop in koi pond indicated large bullfrog in there. I've not had near as many frogs this year. Had 10 or 12 of them early this year, then they left and only have seen 2-4 at the most at a time between both ponds. Maybe all the plant growth is hiding them better, not sure. There certainly are lots of places for them to hide in the water and bogs!
Yes, your drama will hopefully soon be much less, and things will get back to more of a normal level where you live. Can't imagine living where I had to worry about going out for a walk or someone coming into my yard to do destruction at night. Yikes!!!

 

[addy1]

I am seeing tons of tiny ones, so cute. Then we have the tiny tiny, like a spot of dirt. Lots little toads hopping around the yard. Hate even mowing, but mowing at 4 inches, so they are safe.

 

[CountryEscape]

I mowed tonight, then decided to clean up one of my "messy" spots. You know, an area that things collect, and then you mow around it with the intention of picking it up, then it doesn't get picked up .... Well, got the tractor out to move the railroad ties, and then decided to try to dig up this rock that looked like it was about 8" around on the surface, but knew it was much larger. Turns out it was MUCH larger!
Have you ever been digging, hit a rock, move over, hit it again, and wonder how big it really is? Yep, my determination said I was going to dig up that sucker today. It was about 12" down, and then most of it is about 10" thick, almost 4' long, so too big to pull out without reinforcement ... which I promptly got stuck! OMG, I spent over an hour trying to dig out the tractor! It was all soft around there, nothing solid to push on with the scoop, then front end sunk. Finally I wasn't able to go backwards, but filled in the hole pretty much and went out forwards!

I was dying of thirst and hungry when I got inside about 8:30. But, feeling oooooh so good to have gotten it out! Bad thing is I think it's a chunk of concrete, as it had glass and ceramic stuff and junk in with it where I could see through the mud.

 

[CountryEscape]

Bullfrog is singing on the koi pond tonight, and I don't have the sliding door open, so he's pretty loud! Good boy!

 

[j.w]

Oh darn CE I was hoping it was a neat rock you could use in your garden somehow. Maybe you still can?

 

[CountryEscape]

I'll have to wash it off to see, but thinking what I could see while I was digging against it looked like concrete, with stuff in it like glass and pottery. Why in the world would someone pour concrete in an area that had that junk laying, so it would stick to the concrete? Makes no sense to me, but there is concrete everywhere in my yard. Also dug up lots of smaller rocks in that area, so hoping those will be usable on the edge of the creek or in the ponds. :blueflower:

 

[addy1]

make a bench.............lol

I have a boulder my lil tractor can't move, we even tried dragging it with the truck. so it sits all alone by the edge of the woods, pond less

 

[CountryEscape]

Good idea, Addy, as I think one side of it is fairly flat. Will have to see if I can rig up a couple of wide legs to set it on where it will be sturdy enough to sit on! And, I can use a chain and lift it up and down until get the "legs" just right, as the other side is definitely NOT flat.
I just remembered that there were about 5 larger rocks by my garage driveway, that I never thought to put in or near the pond. They were larger than what I wanted to use, still are, but maybe could incorporate them into the planted areas for more naturalization.
Here's the large rock/concrete chunk that I dug out from right next to garage wall footing about 3 years ago. I was planting the landscaping and hit rock, moved, hit rock, and finally dug it out, removed it with the tractor. It has an interesting metal plate on the top, and seems to have a date or year "engraved" into the concrete. Anyone have any idea what it might have been for? It's just under 3' squarish, and at least 12" thick. I wondered if the metal plate was for a flag pole or something like that, just is deteriorated from being underground.

 

[CountryEscape]

My first ever solo concrete mixing job completed yesterday afternoon. Eight 60# bags of concrete mix, and two 80# bags later, now have a 51" diameter platform for the "new" 10' windmill tower. Need to give it 5 days to cure, so in the meantime will get the tail replaced for the windmill and will be ready to go. Pretty proud of myself, too. The pad came out level N/S and 1/2" off E/W, but will need that for drainage! Never say you can't do something if you never try.

 

[j.w]

Great looking job CE! Will look fine w/ your neat windmill on it. Your pond is looking lovely too and I see lots of buds coming up from your water lilies :blueflower:

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, have quite a few flowers, but none better than the Georgia Peach which is blooming beautifully, and I'm not sure where I got this lily, but it's way more beautiful in person - darkest fuscia ever! Pretty sure another lily that had fallen off the shelf, and got put back up on Thursday is also a GA Peach! Happy girl here!