Pond Planning
2008-07-29, 5:07 p.m.

Day 1437

Boy, did we get some good ideas this weekend. Intended to go out to our favorite pond place and get some ideas on prices for liners, pumps and the assorted pieces & parts necessary for creating our new backyard puddle. He was closed. So we headed to the place we figured we�d be buying landscaping rocks from. When I pulled up to park, I noticed we�d come to rest right in front of a pond � complete with waterfalls, stream & fishies.

Not surprisingly, this pond is what we had in mind as a goal. Here�s a few shots:

This is the main pool. From the far end (upper left corner) a pump sends water up to a filter that is actually off screen, to my right and behind me.

From the filter, which is situated behind those pink flowers (Echinacea?) the water courses down an artificial stream, over some small falls and finally back into the main pool.

Looking back up towards the lower set of falls.

Ideally, we�d like the main pool to be bigger. The one I�ve shown is roughly 6 x 10 or so. We�re aiming for more like 18� in diameter, with sort of a puffy kidney bean shape. One inlet of the bean would be the pump intake, the other section would be where the stream empties back into the pool. Depths would vary from 6 inches to 3 feet � hopefully in level, 6 inch increments. I have it all designed in my head, even sketched out on paper. The other half of our design team agrees in principle, so it�s ground clearing time.

To that end, we weeded what� left of the veggie garden Saturday. 8 foot tall sheeps quarters, crab & quack grass galore and some garlic were the main harvest. Much rototilling ensued once the biggest & nastiest weeds were yanked.

Sunday, the old fence came down. Now I have to do the rough layout. This week I need to go order all the fixins so we can have them delivered by 8/8. Liner, pump, filter, (sounds like a pool, doesn�t it?), liner tape, fish safe sealant foam and six (as in 6!!) pallets of rocks. Big rocks, little rocks, even rocks with lichens & moss. And. One of the pallets has only 4 rocks on it. Four humongous rocks. Two of which we will use to make a bench seat from which one might dangle their feet in the pond (and get a pedicure). The largest of these rocks will become a landscape object unto itself. The last rock? Who knows. We�ll figure something out.

Yes, we have to get permits and file plans and have the building inspector come out and check our stuff out, all to put up a simple screened-in, roofed deck. The perils of living in suburbia. What I do hope to gain out of it is a better idea of how beefy I need to make the roof. We need to consider roof slope because the location of existing second floor windows dictates where the roof needs to peak and what the max slope can be. Then we have to consider snow load. It�s not unusual to have over two feet of snow piled up along the back of the house. I�m expecting that the building inspector can tell me size and spacing for roof rafters so the roof will survive our winters. It would really (REALLY) suck to have the roof collapse because I penny pinched on roof rafters.

Sorry, got off on a tangent. Literally. Well, arc-tangent really. Specifically, atan (3/12) = 14.04 degrees and atan(4/12) = 18.43 degrees. Now I need to take those angles, find the mid point of those afore mentioned windows and see where the roof line of the deck will be. Anyone want to help? Who�s good on a ladder? We�ll only be 12 � 15 feet up so it won�t be too bad. Better go find my framing/roofing square first.

I�ve been bothered lately by Cindy�s drinking (again, still - what ever) (also � what a smooth segue. NOT). She�s been at it pretty solid 3 days a week. Not to the stumbling, bumbling degree she was last year or the years before, but enough that I readily recognize that she�s undeniably drunk. This has bubbled to the surface for a variety of reasons. First, I have another therapist session coming up Thursday. This kind of shit always pops up in the days before a session. Second � we�re headed to a family reunion this weekend. This clan is not afraid to drink. For the most part, they keep it in check, but the evenings get pretty entertaining. I will no doubt do my share of drinking (But I bring very dark beer that not many people enjoy. I can share freely with little fear of everyone sucking down my brew), but Cindy will be tempted to do more. She�ll test the limits.

To that end, I�ve already formulated my plan of (in)action. I won�t interfere with her decisions as to what to drink. She knows my opinion already. This will be a perfect opportunity to practice detachment with compassion. I just hope I don�t get a lot of practice. She�s been ok at these things before. Well, not sober ok, but she hasn�t killed herself (obviously) or made too much of an ass of herself. Except at Jen & Paul�s wedding, but that was pretty much saved for the kids & I. And the whole wiping out on the dance floor bit(s). And the falling down on the path back to our cabin 3 or 4 times. Embarrassed the hell out of the kids. But that was a wedding, not a reunion.

Aaaggghh. Good thing there�s a meeting tonight. Maybe I can get some good tips (heh, that came out �good tits� the first time) on how to behave myself this weekend. I think I have the general idea, could just use some pointers.

I will admit that I kinda hope she gets ripped, makes a complete fool of herself in front of everyone and finally realizes she has a problem and can�t fool anyone with her �social drinking�. I will let her crash & burn, but not to the point of physical harm.

What a fun weekend this could turn out to be.

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