Last Updated: 1/6/19

1. Shockingly (not), I did pond chores on 12/2/18. The air temperature was 54 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 49 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 46 degrees F. I got in the big pond just to cut down the rest of the marginals in the shallow end. I collected as many leaves in the immediate area as I could to pull the big net off the waterfall. I pull back the net after the trees are bare of leaves in order to let animals drink and bathe and not get stuck in the net as well as so things are more manageable if it snows and ices over the winter. I put some river rock in a hole below the overflow where the dirt had washed out.

2. I had off 12/10/18 so I did pond chores on that day. The air temperature was 37 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 40 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 42 degrees F. I did not get in the pond. I put in additives and topped off the ponds. I replaced the plastic shoe box over the Luft pump by the 153 gallon pond because the one that was there had been shattered. I think the ~6 month old buck who had been shot in the shoulder stepped on it when he was drinking water. I do not understand anyone enjoying trying to murder another living creature. Sometimes, it may be necesssary for survival (food, safety, etc.) but surely that was not the case for this baby deer.

3. It was a lovely day (not) on 12/16/18, when I went out in the heavy drizzle to tend to the pond. I waited until later in the day thinking it might get better (not). At 3:30 pm, the air temperature was 42 degrees F in the rain. The 1800 gallon pond was at 48 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 46 degrees F. I got in the pond for the first time in three weeks to squirt off the main filter material. There was a small pickerel frog in the basket. I surely didn't need to add water to any of the ponds but I did put in some additives. That was all I could take. I was cold and wet.

4. I was absolutely devastated to find my last and best guinea pig, Lammie dead the morning of 12/20/18. When I added her death date to my list, it turns out, of all the animals that I have listed that have died in the least 20+ years, she died closest to Christmas.

5. On 12/23/18, the air was at 44 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 46 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 48 degrees F. It had rained so much that I didn't need to top anything off but I removed some leaves and put in some additives (BZT, baking soda, PondZyme only).

6. It was 45 degrees F and not too bad on 12/30/18. The 1800 gallon pond was at 46 degrees F. The thermometer for the 153 gallon pond was out of the pond. I'm guessing the raccoon did that. I squirted off the main filter floss and the bioballs. I found eight pickerel frogs in the biofilter and put them in the main pond.

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