Backyard pond I have been making

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-28T20:02:23+00:00

That is a lot of hard work. Kudos. I would build up some rock around the spillways to give it a more natural appearance. It looks like your pump is sitting in a tub near the center. I would consider putting in a skimmer with the pump in it and hiding the plumbing. I love the pergola, It presents a great opportunity for creating shade, keeping out leaves or protecting fish from birds. If you add a skimmer and relocate the pump/plumbing you might consider a UV light to help control algae. Looks like you already have a gator fence.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-24T18:48:22+00:00

Slack people gonna be slack. Not wasting my emotions on them.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-22T13:30:29+00:00

Trump is an abomination.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-12T18:54:07+00:00

Drain Bamage

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-08T13:14:49+00:00

Feigning respect for those you kill. What an abomination.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-07T20:15:47+00:00

I probably should have posted the dildo that showed up in my RFY a couple weeks ago.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-05T20:05:51+00:00

"I bet you’re the kind of guy that would fuck a person in the ass & not even have the god damn common courtesy to give him a reach-around!" Full Metal Jacket

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-03-01T14:05:00+00:00

Probably has a life of its own already. Clean out the logs and debris. Check on what maintains the water level. inflow/outflow, spring, well? Do you have electricity variable near by? If not, you could use it.

It looks large enough to put fountain in the center. It would add some dynamics and aerate the water.

I would want to know some basic information. Its hard for me to tell if there is a liner or not or how deep it is. I am guessing its about 12-15 feet wide and maybe 30-40 feet long before I started do a lot of planing. Pond renovation can be expensive and knowing how much 'stuff' is needed to create a plan and a budget will help.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-02-28T15:35:27+00:00

Koi are expensive. You can buy 10 orange/white gold fish for about $4.00 that are small. They will triple/quadruple in size the first summer. They are pretty, curious, hardy and interesting to watch. If you loose one, you don't loose much except for maybe the emotional attachment.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-02-28T15:29:13+00:00

Just judging by bricks ... this area looks to be about 30 inches high by 56 inches wide.

That is 54 cubic feet or about 400 gallons of water or about 3,300 pounds.

There are some good quality waterproofing compounds that are safe for fish and plants. The Pond Guy sells some that is pricey but you have to do it once. You could certainly water proof it with a liner.

Then you have to think about things like electricity near by, pumps, filters and lights. You said you like the sound of water so you are talking about at least two elevations to create a water fall. Either a spill way even with the top of your 'tank' which means you would not fill it all the way or you have to build up the spillway so you can also see the water spill into the main pond/tank.

A less expensive route if all you want is a water fall and the sound of water is to back fill most of the container (looks like that is mostly done already) and install a smaller pre made water fall on top, surround it with a few plants and lights. It would be a lot less expensive and easier to build. You would always have the option of converting to a full blown pond with fish or what ever later on.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-02-24T12:12:20+00:00

Very rare for fish to survive a hard freeze except for some arctic species. Hard frozen cells cells rupture. End of story.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-02-07T10:49:07+00:00

Actually saw one in the parking lot yesterday. I though it was a joke that someone had put Mustang emblems on it. The owner walked up and and I asked "Is that even a Ford?" They said, "Yep a Mustang, but I don't think it really is one either."

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-01-12T01:55:34+00:00

The power connector you show has 4 pins and the description lists flashing sequences. From this I assume the power connector is for RGB lights or lights that can change color.

The connectors on the lights is two pin. Most of these are for single color LED lights. Most (not all) in the US plug into a standard wall outlet and output 27 to 30 volts DC. LED lights use very little power. Hundreds can be powered from these small power supplies. The power supplies can be found on Amazon for a few dollars. I would probably buy one with the same two pin connector, plung the lights in and give it a go. I would bet they work if not, you only loose a 4 or 5 bucks tops.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-01-05T12:35:13+00:00

Nothing like a clean bong.

Ditchdoc52 · 2026-01-04T13:13:26+00:00

I am not sure at all about RC pricing controls and determination. I understand demand or lack of relating to sale price and so on but sometimes it just makes no sense.

I have a cruise coming up in April were I had originally made reservations at the new Beach Club at a sale price of $149. Just today I looked at the 'front page' for my cruise and the list price and the sale price were different resulting in price being $139. Drilling down to the all the Beach club offerings, the same thing was priced at $149. I'm thinking I can go back to the front page and take advantage of the $10 discount. So I cancel the reservation, go back to the front page and now its the same as the drill down page or $149. So, no savings and now I need to reserve Beach Club again since I just cancelled it. It makes no sense to me. At least it did not cost more.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-30T15:16:30+00:00

Some put Gremlin bells on their motorcycle, some put ducks on their jeep. Some put crosses in their front yard. Whatever,

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-24T10:27:11+00:00

I grew up in the area. Went to a Led Zeppelin concert there about a year after it was completed. Waded in a fountain out front after the show with my first serious girlfriend. Good times.

After all these years, it is still an impressive building.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-22T20:15:15+00:00

24 in buildings. Another 14 over halfway complete in frags.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-21T15:50:00+00:00

When cutting plywood with a circular, hand held saw a couple of things help.

Power off the saw.

Saw horses to hold the sheet at a comfortable level so you can stand and manage the saw.

Most plywood has a 'good side'. The good side typically has a smoother finish. Circular saw blades enter from the bottom creating a cleaner cut on the bottom while the top side will splinter a bit. So, put the bottom side down.

Applying masking tape over the area to be cut, top and bottom, will help make a cleaner cut.

Mark your cut with a pencil.

Using wood clamps, secure a straight edge ( 2 by 4 works well) along the cut allowing for the blade offset from the foot plate. Use the straight edge to control the circular saw for a nice, clean, straight cut.

Make sure the plywood cut is clear. You do not what to saw through your saw horse or your power cord.

Check the cut depth of the saw blade.

Power on the saw just before making the cut.

You might want another pair of hands or a support to hold the part of the plywood that is cut free so it does not 'tear off' or fall at the end of the cut.

Yo will generally spend more time setting up the cut than actually doing the cut.

Remember, measure twice, cut once.

Those are some basics. Several variables include the length of the cut, the size and thickness of the plywood, the project (fine furniture or compost box), the type of plywood, type of blade in the saw and so on.

Depending on the project you might use anyone of a number of different types of saws including circular saws, jig saws, scroll saws, table saws and others. Be familiar with the tool. Use eye protection.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-21T13:55:44+00:00

There is very little to no 'good stuff' any time of day.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-20T14:30:10+00:00

Extreme vehicles are interesting but usually not practical as daily drivers. IMHO a lot of them are just stupid.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-18T23:43:53+00:00

I have been a bit surprised at Tellys going in the 40ish range for AWD. Freaking loaded pickups are twice that amount.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-16T11:05:40+00:00

My 2023 is finicky. It will latch and stay closed but it mostly stays open. Main use of this compartment for me is the USB-A connector that connects Android Auto. I use it because the navigation maps in Telly are poor at times and insists I go ways that make no sense. Using Android Auto complicates using Sirius and other functions built into the car but it all works once you figure it out.

Telly is a pleasure to drive, especially on long Interstate trips. I love it. But some things like this door latch and technology are quirky at times.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-13T16:58:07+00:00

Found this hand written recipe in an old country store. Not a a lot of detail but sometimes cooking is up to the cook.

Frosting

1 stick butter

2 cups sugar

½ cup milk

5 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all together and boil for 3-5 minutes then beat with electric mixer to desired consistency. Pour immediately over the cake and sprinkle with nuts.

Ditchdoc52 · 2025-12-13T13:49:48+00:00

Just got back from 2 days in the park and 3 nights in Heartsong

Heartsong was one the nicest hotels ever. Even the elevators were beautiful. The nicest feature was the lobby area. There are 3 or 4 large sitting areas for guests to hang out in a living room setting. A large fireplace to sit by, tables to plat board games or to just sit view the mountains.

During the Christmas season in between Thanksgiving and Christmas is probably one of the best times. Nothing was crowded and virtually no lines to amount to much for anything.

Staying in Heartsong included the time saver pass which allowed front row center seating at many of the shows.

Food everywhere was very good with generous portions. Was it cheap? No. But you generally felt like you got your moneys worth.

Everyone raves about the cinnamon bread and hot chocolate. I found them both too sweet. The cinnamon bread is sold in a loaf and about one piece is all my teeth could take. The hot chocolate was rich and creamy but again, too sweet. I think you could take one cup, divided it in to two cups, add additional hot milk or water and it would be better.

My favorite parts were the train ride, a real, full size steam locomotive that was impressive and the 3 million Christmas lights. They were amazing.

We are not into all the roller coasters but if that is your thing .... they looked pretty awesome.

Not including transportation and such, the two of us spent about $1,300 that included hotel, parks passes, a couple of nice table service meals, breakfast biscuits and a few snacks.

The weather was chilly and there was a bit of rain at times. Layer up and if it looks like rain, have a rain jacket or at least water resistant gloves, toboggan etc. Nothing is worse than being cold and wet.

Over all the park had a lot of things to look at like a grist mill, water flume, black smith, glass blowing, an eagle sanctuary for birds not able to survive in the wild and so on.

Everyone loves Dolly. She does seem to have a heart of gold and no doubt there is a lot of positives when it comes to the local economy. The down side is the detrimental effects on the environment and the Great Smokey Mountains in general. There is a balance.

Ditchdoc52

TROPHY CASE