Building a Pond

I like ponds.
I can't afford a big pond.
So... A while back.. a couple years ago I think I thought to myself... can I build a small pond?
No one was interested in helping me, except my lad's best friend and last year didn't work out.    This year my son  got on board.  "Mom!   Can we make a pond for my toads and frogs?" 

My response was "Sure son, you can do that".  :)

So on Thursday and Friday two lads worked hard at building a pond.

My boy had already done the preliminary work of digging the hole and testing the size.  We discovered though the old shower curtain had a leak so the pond was emptied and a plastic line was placed under the shower curtain for some added support.

First came the fitting of stone.

Then came the work of building walls.   This took the lad's a lot of time.   Dad helped with cutting the wood for them.

I was sure I had a picture of Jim cutting wood but apparently I didn't so I will substitute this picture of a watchful on looker...

ah ha!!!! I knew I had a picture!!!! :)

Putting the wood around proved to be somewhat problematic due to the shape of the base and the escape desiring nature of toads.....

The need to protect the bubbler that will keep the river fish alive.   This was done through a ziploc bag and covering the corner with old feed bags and a block of wood.

Plants were added....

And toad hidey area were added.  As well as lots of toads.  The boys had a lot of fun observing the toads and learning how escape focused they are.   There seemed to be four different types of toads: a reddish one, a  greenish one, and lots of American toads and a couple that looked different...more white than the regular toad.  I KNOW I took pictures of them but they somehow vanished from my camera....

The boys were laughing about how this would be a toad education centre so my son ran with that theme and put up some math problems for the toads (and one frog)  to solve.

They thought they had the toads all secure but about five of them got away on the boys.  The frog remained and I had thought if anyone would escape it would be the frog!   So... the remaining toads went back to the house for safe keeping.   The lad worked hard yesterday.   And my lad worked hard to checking for small holes and other areas that the toads could escape through.

They did a good job did they not?    My lad has one last job to do and that is to reconnect the one bubbler with it's filter.   But that's a job for later today or tomorrow. :)

Oh.. frogs sing VERY loudly at night.. oh my but can they sing.  It's almost as pretty as listening to our birds.  :)   But he's happy and it makes my lad smile.  T'is a good thing that!   Indeed!  :)

Oh... almost forgot!   At the end of a hard day's work we had a campfire.   Lots of un.

It was a very lovely couple of days.   I'll happily do it again!  :)
Might not be the prettiest...but it'll do.  :)