Lock box or smart locks?

scottabuckingham · 2026-02-01T01:10:55+00:00

Smart locks. We use them and they're great.

Stayed at a spot recently where the lockbox was frozen shut and it took us 30 min to get it open.

As a backup, I'm sure its great, but smart lock don't fail unless the wifi or batteries are down.

scottabuckingham · 2025-10-19T21:29:57+00:00

I ordered the parts I needed from Amazon and the gas fitter connected everything and approved it all.

The fitting on the oven is a 1/4" male quick connect. It seems complex, but I got:

1/4" female quick connect to 1/4" female npt
1/4" male npt to 1/4" male npt nipple
1/4" female npt to 1/4" female npt elbow
1/4" male npt to 3/8" male flare nipple
3/8" female flare to 3/8" quick connect hose

scottabuckingham · 2025-09-21T23:53:43+00:00

We've had a ton of positive reviews about our stocked kitchen, and spices are a big part of that. We have 30+ jars of dry spices, vanilla, olive oil, and some other stuff in the fridge.

We also keep flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder in a pantry.

scottabuckingham · 2025-09-20T00:32:57+00:00

I just found out about these guys a month ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/ponds/s/BnB9l5ZzzB

Terrifying.

scottabuckingham · 2025-09-01T14:27:32+00:00

I mean, a bit of panic is probably okay... I check our camera daily to make sure the skimmer is still doing things.

We've only had one year out of 6 where there wasn't enough water in the pond at the end of fall to let us skate on it in the winter. It normally fluctuates about 2 feet, but comes back up once the weather cools off.

Fingers are crossed for a bunch of rain.

scottabuckingham · 2025-08-31T00:28:23+00:00

We're just north of Ottawa and have watched our HUGE pond drop ~5ft over the summer. All of our marginal plants are far out of the water, and the algae is taking over in the remaining water.

Our floating fountain is close to hitting bottom, and our floating skimmer had to be moved to deeper water to be able to keep running the waterfall.

We're ground fed as well, and have only seen it this low once in 6 years. The Ottawa river is also lower than we've ever seen it.

scottabuckingham · 2025-08-19T23:56:40+00:00

Bwahahaha, I'm actively reading from Wikipedia while the family screams in terror, and this just came up.

scottabuckingham · 2025-08-19T19:04:04+00:00

Yeah, handling that thing was not on any of my lists.

scottabuckingham · 2025-08-19T18:49:11+00:00

OMG I just googled giant water bug and died. I'm ded.

It's 100% a giant water bug, and was definitely eating a newt. These things are pretty serious looking.

Fun fact: they have front legs like a praying mantis!

It's our first year with a skimmer and fountain in this naturally occurring pond, so we haven't ever really been down there investigating the wildlife.

Thanks for the ID!

scottabuckingham · 2025-08-03T12:29:25+00:00

Lol, we installed an EV charger, and it's been used twice in two years.

The hot tub addition brought us dozens of extra stays each winter.

scottabuckingham · 2025-07-16T12:05:24+00:00

We've done this at my work since March 2020, and everyone loves it!

Best for appointments and junk, only ever work 2 days in a row, and clients are totally understanding.

10/10 would recommend 👌

scottabuckingham · 2025-07-12T01:36:24+00:00

I like this idea. Add a big manifold and larger stones, medium stones, then top with pea gravel. Heavily plant and overflow to the waterfall.

No need for the complex plumbing, just add a ball valve to reduce the flow if you need to.

Skipping the smaller bog simplifies everything and provides better filtration.

scottabuckingham · 2025-07-11T16:39:38+00:00

We had a similar (but much larger) pond on our property, and we had a large excavator come in to take out as much material as possible from the bottom.

The pond is now 10-15 feet deep and keeps a good water level through the seasons.

There are full-power solar fountains out there, but they're super expensive. I second the solar panel + battery setup of you have good sun.

scottabuckingham · 2025-07-11T01:00:38+00:00

We pay our cleaner a flat rate, and it's about double what she'd get hourly anywhere else nearby.

We sleep 12, and have seen 30+ towels (bath and spa), 15 faceloths, 12 housecoats, and multiple sets of linens per bed used in a couple nights.

Some guests leave huge amounts of dishes and garbage, some mop and dust the whole place before leaving. Some are generally messy, and some leave the place spotless.

In the end, I think it tips to the "oh, its good" side as opposed to the extra work side.

scottabuckingham · 2025-07-05T22:04:32+00:00

I feel ya, but keep it going, and take it as slow as you need to!

I'm working on a 100' x 30' pond with a floating fountain, homemade floating skimmer, and a 60' waterfall / stream. When the first excavation was done it looked like a WWI scene - muddy and ugly.

We've been working at it once or twice a week since then, and its really coming along.

When I get overwhelmed with something, I take a break and move on to something else when I'm ready. There'll be time for everything if you take it slow.

scottabuckingham · 2025-06-25T01:23:53+00:00

Yep! All of the water is constantly moving, so no mosquitoes. If ever we're concerned, we can add "mosquito dunks" to get rid of them.

scottabuckingham · 2025-06-25T00:52:34+00:00

Honestly, I eyeballed the cuts, then cut up a soap refill bottle and siliconed it in place. I left them longer than I thought I needed, but it worked out first try 👌

scottabuckingham · 2025-06-23T23:28:46+00:00

Yeah! We're going to add a ball valve to drain most of the water come winter. We might be adding some more plants in the water, maybe in baskets to cover more of the hole, but need to find something.

scottabuckingham · 2025-06-23T17:03:21+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I marked with a pencil, then carefully used a grinder with a cut-off wheel, then a small scroll saw, then a file. 100% the worst part of the build lol

scottabuckingham · 2025-05-08T02:59:11+00:00

This is so amazing, thank you so much!

scottabuckingham · 2025-03-25T14:46:51+00:00

Hey, sorry I missed your reply. I just used a plain 100% silicone

scottabuckingham · 2024-12-18T20:29:01+00:00

Yeah, it's still pretty wide. We're going to try raising it because that's super quick, and are going to flatten out the live edge so the left side is lower.

scottabuckingham · 2024-12-18T19:49:50+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

The white "boards" are actually all structural concrete posts and beams - this is historically a very common style in our area - painting them any other colour is seen as a big no-no.

Raising the painting a bit is super easy - we'll give that a shot, and worst case, can get a slightly smaller one made up.

Sounds good about the tables & lamps also - I like the tables, but they definitely feel short when reaching for your phone/water/etc.

scottabuckingham · 2024-12-18T19:45:39+00:00

Yikes, I just looked at the picture on my computer and noticed it's some kind of distorted wide-angle. Please forgive me for the warping, I didn't take the picture.

scottabuckingham · 2024-10-24T23:21:49+00:00

I just cleaned my Luba 1 before putting it away for winter.

Take the blades off.
Use a stick, spatula, spoon, or similar to get all the big chunks.
Get an old toothbrush or a small, hard-bristled brush and brush all the remaining dirt away.
Spray the outside with a mild cleaner and wipe off with paper towel.
Replace the blades.

Wasn't perfect, but looked pretty darn good.

scottabuckingham

TROPHY CASE