Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 25

Finally managed to weed eat and cut the lawn today and got the last of the gravel moved so that we can get a bobcat in here to level the yard!! Yaaayy!!

Also did some cleaning out on the pond. Turns out the moss is great… until it REALLY latches in and makes space for grass. There was so much into the stream that it was backing up into the top pond, causing it to overflow, and the whole system lose water!

When I pulled up the moss, it pulled much of the gravel with it! So lesson learned. Very light on the moss, no more gravel in the stream, keep things neat and tidy!

In all though, the pond cleared up fast thanks to the barrel filters and all is good!

#pandemicpond #gardening #pondlife #spring #portalberni #backyardPond #PoolPond

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 12

Went to the grocery store. Managed to get most everything for under $200. Came home. Bent over to start putting everything away and my back was like noooooooooope. 🤕

Gingerly put everything away.
Now flat on couch.
No more yard work this weekend 😂

I wish ibuprofen worked on grocery bill inflation too.

#poolpond #home #life #backpain #inflation #affordability

Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 11

back and muscles say i am done for now but I made a good dent in the gravel. Managed to get all the gravel off the black fabric so that can be stored away. Just a two or three cart loads left but I don't want any nasty back surprises!

Maybe I can look up some folks with a bobcat and book a date for levelling! 🙌 🚜

emptying the poolpond of icky water.
and rhubarb!!

time for tylenol and a snack

/end

#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 11
4 inch rock moved to new spot. And new gravel spot ready,#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond
Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 11

two loads in the cart. One load left on the ground of the 1 inch rocks then it's into the gravel

don't be fooled by what you can see. The black fabric is actually concealing, almost half of the pile of gravel lol
#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Apr 11

it's time to move the last of this rock out of this back part of the yard to somewhere else so that the mountain of dirt can be flattened and spread out and ready for planting and other things.

The clay is already hardening up!

#poolpond #backyard #home #gardening #BackyardProject #pandemicpond

Show threadChris AlemanyApr 7

I essentially thought that I could move the dirt pile by hand, but quickly ran out of time when I realized that the job would be far too hard as the dirt hardened. I needed to hire a bobcat to do it efficiently.

I am hoping I can get a bobcat in before May Long weekend so we can then start spreading top soil and planting clover!

#poolpond

Chris AlemanyApr 7

RE: https://socialbc.ca/@chris/114287856734537068

A year ago I made a mistake in *not* following through and spreading out that pile. I started collecting rock.

Mistake.

The two smaller holes got rocked in successfully, but the #poolpond itself was more complicated and led to a halt in progress. So I never got the dirt pile spread last year. I ended up with a bunch of leftover rock over winter.

Need to get it gone before it hardens in the summer heat. I started shifting rocks this weekend. 10 carts so far. 5 carts of gravel remains!

Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Mar 21

Last photos! The arbutus is doing great!!

I am a little worries that the damage it suffered from rutting deer last year will lead to disease. 🤞

But the hazelnut tree is budding!
#poolPond #Gardening #Spring #PortAlberni #Home #Pond #PandemicPond

Show threadChris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸Mar 21

rocks moved!
Managed to move the last of the larger rock off the blue tarp and spread it around the top of the pond. A tiny hope of mine is that this could be enough to stabilize the liner so that when I empty it of its (quickly algae-ifying) rain water, it doesn't bulge out from the sides. I doubt I will be that lucky so I will have to fill it with city water (chlorinated) to keep the algae and mosquitoes at bay while preserving the shape of the liner until the ground around it hardens up.

The rainy season is winding down!

thankfully i didnt have to use any city water to clean the rocks as I moved them. Just used the hose emptying water from the other ponds.

#poolPond #Gardening #Spring #PortAlberni #Home #Pond #PandemicPond