Pond Project Update

Thought I'd give you a small update on the Pond Project.

 Just to refresh your memory it looked like this .

 Now it looks like this .

Inspired by the watching the Chelsea Flower Show this week I worked like a Navvy on Wednesday.

I stripped out the small bed by the pond and replanted it all with bee/butterfly friendly plants . Scabious , French Lavender , my favourite Pinks ,Aqualigia and Campanula .

I brought out my little Gnomes and Faeries from under the hedge to give the bed a bit a character.

It will take some time for all the plants to grow both in the bed and in the pond . I'll try and post pics from time to time through the Summer to keep you posted . 

I've been very busy this week , not only with the garden. I've been making myself some dresses for the upcoming trip to Cornwall . It's ages since I made clothes for myself and I've really enjoyed it .

I've had to get myself quite a bit of new clothes as I'm still having weight problems .But there is a reason   for it this time .It's not just me filling my face .On a recent visit to the Doc for a check up I mentioned my weight to him and he told me that it was a major side effect of the antidepressant I'm on . Well I'd rather be a size bigger than be ill again :0)

On a final note . Number 1 son ran the Edinburgh Marathon last week and did it in 4hrs 56 secs .Knocking 25 mins off his previous time and with a bad knee :0)

Help Needed

I know this is a very longshot but is there anyone who reads my blog and is in Edinburgh and has a B&B or the like. No 1 son is running in the Marathon tomorrow and can't find a bed for the night .

You can email me on info(at)laalbear(dot)co(dot)uk replacing the words with symbols .

Thank you

The Pond Project Day 4

 Well we're nearly there . We've had another warm sunny day and the boys have got loads done .

Stones have been laid between the two ponds to cause a babbling effect.

 The small pond waiting to be lined with stones.

 View from the top end .

 At 5 o'clock the new pump was switched on and we had water gushing over the stones and Papa was delighted . I wish i could get a video of it but I can't work out how to do it . It sounds great .

Can't wait to plant it all up and sit out having breakfast to sound of our babbling brook .

There are just some tidying up to do tomorrow and it will all be finished .

We are really pleased with the work Neil and Lyndon have done and if you like what you see and live in the Lancashire area I can highly recommend Alexander Landscapes

The Pond Project Day 3

The day dawned quite miserably and we thought Neil and Lyndon were going to get rained off but it brightened up and by lunchtime the sun was out .

 Nearly full of water and the plants in.

 Millie overseeing things .

 Some of the planting.

 More rocks round the edge.

Late afternoon and the pond is full a all the rocks in place round the edge . The liner is in place on the upper small pond and once all the rocks are set round that the pumps will be installed . It will take some time to clear but we've had a couple of frogs in already so that's good .

All being well it will be finished tomorrow weather permitting :0)

The Pond Project Day 2

Day 2 of the Pond Project began with a dry day thank God .

The boys arrived early and got cracking.

 Moving all the rocks and rubble into the skip.

 Millie decided she'd had enough of overseeing the pond and went exploring our garage .

I think she was hunting mice LOL

 By the middle of the afternoon the fleece liner was in .

And this is it a close of play . 

I can't wait to see it finished . We are to have a new powerful pump so that there will be lots of water noise .

While all this was going on I dyed 3 kilos of Blue Faced Leicester .

Pics when it's all dyed and re-skeined .

To be continued ..........

Forty Year Wait ( the pond project day1)

Apologies again for not Blogging . Time just seems to be wizzing by at the moment which is good really ,cos it means I'm busy  . Much better than last year. 

I've had to get the dye pots out again for Woolfest as i had a biggish order last week .Then yesterday my favourite customer came so the pots are out again as I've realised I need more semi-solid yarns . 

I've been enjoying spinning and Papa Bear is busy carding up two Alpaca fleeces that I aquired . One gorgeous blonde one which I got from a lady at Guild and a beautful black one that i aquired on an abortive trip ,round Cockerham, for a camper van . It's great what you can pick up when you've got a very observent Dh in the passenger seat . Lol

Now then . There are big changes a foot at Chez Bears . Forty years ago next weekend we moved into our little den . Just the three of us , Papa , Cub No1 and me . In the back garden was a big pond and Papa Bear was delighted with it but after 40 years of trying to get the water right and plants not growing and blanket weed taking over we decided to get the experts in . So this morning Neil and Lyndon the pond experts arrived .

 Papa had emptied it the night before and got what few fish were left in .

 We had to go out for a hospital appointment but when we got back this is what we found .

 Neil needs to make the pond deeper and had to cut into the concrete . Unfotunately the previous owner was , shall we say copious with the stuff and in places it was six inches thick .

Still they ploughed on in the rain.

 Most of the rocks round the rim have now been removed.

 This has to be made bigger yet so tomorrow they're bringing in the heavy stuff . A pneumtic drill .

Neil's little dog , Millie, sheltering from the rain.

At four o'clock they'd had enough of the wet and cold and will return tomorrow .

********

I mentioned above that when we moved in here 40 years ago there was just the three of us .

Well now ,counting partners ther are now 15 members of the Bear Family . Not bad going eh !!

So here's a couple of pics of the latest member ,

 " I wuv my Grandad "

Her favourite pose .

She is coming on a treat and now weighs 9lbs 9oz . I think her Mum is producing Gold Top quality milk . Lol 

It's nice having a baby in the family again.

Last but by no means least , Papa has had a bit of good luck . When we went to the hospital 2 weeks ago for his eye injections they found his sight has improved . Now we were led to believe at the start of his treatments that it would only arrest any further damage but apparently some times things can get better , They don't tell you this at the begining so as not to get your hopes up . Any way he now has some central vision back . It's a little distorted but he can see better . He has one more injection of this round to have then they will see how things get on . We are both very chuffed :0)