The pond 2 years later

I underestimated how difficult it would be to clean up this property. In the beginning, every square foot was covered so thick with briers and growth one needed a machete for a single step. Poison ivey and oak everywhere, bees and snakes underfoot. Limited skills with a chain saw and having to haul everything away by hand to a safe spot for burning has been daunting and exhausting. Two years ago the pond was dying. There were so many aquatic weeds it was difficult to paddle the boat across. All had to be sprayed slowly as not to induce a fish kill. Much of it had to be pulled up by hand. Long ropes of it that smelled like sewage from methane gas. I never wanted to cut away the hard woods along the banks but I've had to. Many were destined to just fall in the water and a few are already so large that may be a fate I'll have to accept. And all just added more layers of leaves on the pond bottom for decay. I'm trying to replant now...with perennials and evergreens. Still don't have any power down there yet but it's coming. My senior dear friend says one must crawl before they can walk. Meaning, to have patience in the rewards of hard work. Well, my knees are sore along with everything else... but it's all been worth it.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Fish
• Pond