Last Updated: 10/29/14

1. On 10/5/14, I did pond chores. It was 42 degrees F outside at dawn! The 1800 gallon pond was at 58 degrees by the afternoon, and the 153 gallon pond was at 60 degrees F. The wind had been blowing for a few days so there were a decent amount of leaves on the net. It was a good thing that I put it on last week! I removed some leaves off the net and a few more buckets of water lettuce. There is finally an opening in the surface.

2. On 10/12/14, I did pond chores. The 1800 gallon was at 57 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 60 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials and the bioballs. There were three green frogs of three sizes in the biofilter. I sent them down the waterfall. I tried to fix the biggest rock at the top of the waterfall as it has collapsed sideways. I am now too weak/old to really fix the waterfall so I just live with the constant leaks and have to add water more often than I would like. It really sucks having no help. I changed the PondMaster filters one last time.

3. On 10/15/14, I took the day off to bring in the house plants for the winter. It took about five hours but I did various other things along with it. I set up the 50 gallon Rubbermaid pond in the basement. I put the two gallon pot of black magic taro (from the pool deck) in there as well as two bareroot bluebells. One was fairly large while the other was tiny. I set up the PondMaster 190 to filter the water. Later, I will add tropical waterlilies perhaps (depending on what's left of them and if they set nut tubers which I store in damp sand). I am not sure if I will add any animals or not.

4. On 10/19/14, I did the usual. The 1800 gallon was at 58 degrees F, and the 153 gallon was at 59 degrees F. I put up the Cyprio filter for the year. I got leaves off the net. There is so much to do and no time.

5. On 10/26/14, I did pond chores. The 1800 gallon pond was at 55 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 58 degrees F. This time of the year, it's all about the leaves! There are leaves and more leaves all over. I had to shake down the pond nets to try to get most of the leaves off. I removed a wheel barrow more of water lettuce from the big pond but have probably three times that left. We should get our first hard frost next weekend, and then they will all turn to mush. There are a few water hyacinth mixex in here or there. I used to put those back in for the last month or so of tossing stuff but now they'll be dying off anyway too. A lot of pine needles got in the 153 gallon pond. They went right through the net. I gave that pond some baking soda to counteract the acidity of the pine needles.

6. Ready for some summer photos? I'm going to drop in all the pond photos I have yet to link in to my site even if I don't have time to put the links in on my other pages.

From 6/7/14:
Iris in bloom - marginal area of the 1800 gallon pond, facing northwest.
Albata lily in bloom in the 153 gallon pond. Also, notice the anacharis flowers.
Purple iris in bloom in the 153 gallon pond, close-up.
Purple iris in bloom in the 153 gallon pond, from a distance.

From 6/29/14:
1800 gallon pond facing southwest, hardy canna and pickerel rush in bloom.
Pickerel rush and lizard tail in flower.Red terrestrial lily with the 1800 gallon pond in the background.

Tropical white waterlily in bloom in the 1800 gallon pond on 7/14/14, squished under the net.

From 7/20/14:
Tropical waterlilies in bloom in the 1800 gallon pond, facing west. At the top of the photo, I can see koi Colin and Riley and an orfe.
Tropical red waterlily in bloom, net pulled back, close-up.

From 9/7/14, the 1800 gallon covered in water lettuce:
Pond from above, deep end (standing at the biofilter)
Pond facing west
Pond facing northwest

I took these photos on 9/28/14 when I took the half net on and before I put on the full net (except the last photo which has the full net on).
Pond facing southwest.
Pond facing northwest.
Pond facing southwest, from the biofilter.
Pond facing west.
Pond facing northwest.
Pond facing southwest with the full net on.

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