A year and a couple of months in the making

Date for this part April 15th

End date Aug 28…

For more click on label Koi Pond, or Sarah’s Pond

Soon after Sarah’s Pond was complete, the ducks wrecked havoc. Temporary measure was a plastic fence. This summer we added not just a Fence, as we call it the DUCK Fence, but a lower deck adjacent to the existing deck Plus a concrete pad that is Beautiful.

Enjoy a work in progress. Next year I shall add some Lily of the Valley as well as more ferns. It should settle out and be just totally wonderful. Aside from keeping the gardening and pond maintained

Not JUST Concrete

Stamped concrete is becoming increasingly popular and a more frequent material of choice for homeowners across the country because of the wide array of patterns and colors available, particularly compared to other potential patio materials.

We chose for the patterned stone Fieldstone.

Colors and patterns for stamped concrete are often chosen to blend with other stone or tile elements at the residence. Complex designs incorporating steps, courtyards, and fountains can be achieved. Stamped concrete can also be blended with other decorative concrete elements such as exposed aggregate finishes and acid-etch staining. Many contractors offer dozens of patterns.

A Mini Monet

The water lily flower stands for perfect beauty.

The water lily is the first flower mentioned in world literature. In Asia, the flowering water lily, called the lotus, symbolizes absolute truth and purity. The bloom became associated with Buddha himself. The Hindus in India believe that, before its creation as we know it, the world was a golden lotus.

These water plants, with their flowers of pink, white, and blue, often bloom only at night, their perfume spreading across the dark surface of a pond. In the West, the water lily flower was given the botanical name nymphaea, referring to those Greek nature goddesses, the nymphs.

Any of various cosmopolitan aquatic herbs of the genus Nymphaea, having floating leaves and showy, variously colored flowers, especially N. odorata, with fragrant many-petaled white or pinkish flowers. Also called pond lily.

Water lily is a common name for a small family of aquatic plants. The water lily's scientific family is Nympheaceae of the order Nymphaeales. The representative genus of the family is Nymphaea.

Interesting Facts: Water lilies were once used in ancient Egyptian art. The largest water lily is the Giant Water Lily. It can be found in the Amazon. It can grow to be 2 feet to 6 feet in diameter. It provides food for fish and wildlife. The only problem is that it causes drainage problems because of its large size. Claude Monet painted many paintings of water lilies. He got the idea because he had a water garden and enjoyed the plants' beauty and difference. This PROJECT was conceived @ 20 years ago when our youngest daughter planted the idea…

This year the POND is in its second summer...just a TAD more to be done BEFORE it is finally complete

So nice even with puppies...

More later as this project soon ends....

Snazzy Jazzy

Before and AFTER

The before begins here How Do I Begin May7th?

HEY GEORGE WAKE UP! You have got to see THIS! YAWN, OK ok be right there! WOW She looks FAB! "SIGH!" Jazzy said. "Thanks! I feel like a KID again!" WOW fellow flowers did you see what PRANCED by?

"WOW, " George said, "I am going to show her off!"

See she looks so Beautiful!

"OH goodness," said the KOI, "she is STUNNING."

"Heyya Jazz, this way I want to show you around some more", said George

"See Jazz the tree bloomed, just for you, my dear", murmured George ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All it takes sometimes is just a day for you, a facial, massage, and pedicure and of course a new Coif!

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Just seems to make you walk with a bouncier step, as people turn and look at you!

There are the Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh’s and Oh’ssssssssssssssssss as you begin to sport your NEW SNAZZY LOOK!

DOG DAYS

It has been a grueling five days. Starting May 16 we discovered our new puppies had PARVO.

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Not only THIS, but it has rained almost daily and the temperatures have been cool. Spirits with overcast, cloudy rain swollen clouds make for LONG days

Gardening and general outside work has been inconstant, but progress can still be measured.

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A mini vacation is clearly in order. With that said blogging SHOULD resume to what ever NORMAL is sometime next week. By then Pictures of the Babies are hopeful.

Mom “Jazzy” is doing QUITE well in gaining some needed weight and getting more active…She and George are becoming fast friends. Parvoviral infection has become a disease almost exclusively of puppies and adolescent dogs.

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This Site has answers to many of people’s Questions! Parvoviral infection must be considered as a possible diagnosis in any young dog with vomiting and/or diarrhea. With proper hospitalization, survival rates approach 80%. Still, there are many myths and misunderstandings about this virus, how it is spread, and how to prevent it. The purpose of this web site is to clear up these misconceptions and provide the public with an accurate information source

WHERE DOES VIRUS COME FROM? ~

WHY ONLY PUPPIES? INCUBATION The virus enters the body through the mouth as the puppy cleans itself or eats food off the ground or floor. A minuscule amount of infected stool is all it takes. There is a 3-7 day incubation period before the puppy seems obviously ill.A puppy that has NOT shown obvious improvement by the 4th Day of treatment does not survive.

OURS began showing Improvement less than 24 hours into the medication routine.

Exercise

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Your puppy should be considered contagious to other puppies for a good month so it is important to “play it safe” by restricting trips to the park, obedience school or other neighborhood areas. If your puppy is less than 16 weeks of age, he/she should not be allowed in public areas until the vaccination series is fully completed.

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Other Pets Cats and humans are not susceptible to canine parvovirus infection. Adult dogs that have been vaccinated are not susceptible, either. Puppies, however, are at risk. If your sick puppy was indoors only, wait at least one month before any new puppies come to your home. If your sick puppy was outdoors, remember that it can take 7 months before the virus is eliminated from soil. (Freezing will preserve the virus so that any time, during which the ground is frozen, that time does not count in this 7-month period.)

Now we can SIT a bit and begin to enjoy our new family ~~

Be back next week with pictures of the puppies in the SUNSHINE!

Sunlight

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The reflections from the pond bathed the lilac tree in resplendent waves of gold. The trunk shimmered in an elegant undulating gossamer gown. ~~~~ The grapes heaved a sigh to entice being picked and the Mayflies swam the breaststroke in the sky. ~~~~ The cooling fall air temperatures bring on thoughts of The Boundary Waters. More on my Sweeties yearly visit to the Boundary Waters later…

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"Fly fast, mate quickly, die young." If mayflies had a motto that would probably be it. That's because these elegant insects have among the shortest adult lives of any insect. Indeed, scientists have named this group of insects the Ephemeroptera, Latin for "short-lived flyer."

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Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros = "short-lived", pteron = "wing", referring to the short life span of adults). They have been placed into an ancient group of insects termed the Paleoptera, which also contains the dragonflies and damselflies. They are aquatic insects whose immature stage (called naiad or, colloquially, nymph) usually lasts one year in fresh water.

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The California poet Darren "Gav" Bleuel, for instance, had this to say about the insects

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“The mayfly never sees the dawn

But once before his end.

To think he’s born

Upon the morn

Yet not see one again.”

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The leaves from the Wild Cherry tree drift lazily down as if they are butterflies in no hurry for their descent.

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The Koi are dining in splendor!