Building a Waterfall

     We've lived in our present house for almost 25 years. It's fun to look back at pictures and see the changes that have taken place in our garden. In this post I am going to share the evolution of our waterfall/pond. We started out with a concrete fountain that we bought at a local nursery in 1994.

     This worked well for several years. Our dog at the time enjoyed climbing into it with his ball or just to get a drink and splash around.

     Our Wyoming winters started to take their toll on the concrete, so we decided to replace the largest bowel with an in-ground pond. So the hubby with the help of our son dug a hole that we lined with pond liner. We used flagstone and other rocks to finish it off. 

     As you can see from the above shot we also expanded the area to make an Asian garden.

     The weather continued to take it's toll on the concrete even though we tried to protect it in the winter. So then we were down to two bowels.

The birds enjoyed our waterfall as much as we enjoyed watching them.

     But we also started to have problems with the ground shifting around the pond area. So we decided we needed to come up with another idea that would hold up better with our crazy weather. My husband was working at the time at a hotel/restaurant. He found that they were throwing out some large aluminum baking pans, so he asked if he could have them. Thus was born a new idea for a waterfall/pond. First we bought a sheep water trough to put in the existing pond and filled in around it, with a little help from the grandson. The rigid sides of the trough keep the dirt from shifting. 

     A friend knew how to weld aluminum so helped us build the waterfall from the baking pans. We cut off one end of the pans and then stacked them in a slight curve and welded them together. At the highest end a metal pipe was used to support it. I spray painted the pans with brown paint to make them blend in more with the rocks that we stacked around. We covered the bottom of the pans with river rock.

     This has held up really well since we built it in 2009. The blue color of the water is a non toxic coloring we bought at Home Depot. By making the water a darker color it helps slow down the growth of algae. 

     As you can see we made a few other changes to the area. It is lovely to sit on the patio and listen to the flow of the waterfall.

This bell was made for us by a friend, from a used oxygen tank.

    We had a turtle for awhile. Our son spotted him trying to cross the street and was afraid he might get run over.  He brought him to our house, he stayed for awhile then moved on.

We put this board and ramp to make it easier for birds to drink from the pond. It came in handy for the turtle. It is also helpful when we have the occasional frog stop by for a visit.

We added some larger frogs to the decor. These were given to me as a retirement gift.

We have also used the pond for an orphaned goose.  See my post A Goose without a Mother

     So as you can see the pond and waterfall has brought us more then just beauty and soothing sound but also the enjoyment of wildlife.  It diffidently has been a wonderful addition to our garden.

A thought to ponder: "Life is like a waterfall, it is always moving and there is                                        always an uneven flow to it."

Participating in: Grand Social, Share the Joy, Nature Notes, Share Your Cup, Our World, Seasons

Waterfalls Galore

     As I mentioned in my last post we recently took a trip to the Colombia River Gorge in Oregon. One of my goals for this trip was to see lots of waterfalls. And I wasn't disappointed. The first day we drove over the mountain to Cody, Wyoming and through Yellowstone Park, staying the first night in West Yellowstone. We did stop to watch Old Faithful.

     The next day we stopped to view our first waterfall. Mesa Falls is off the main road on a scenic byway a little north of Twin Falls, Idaho.  We got there fairly early and were the only ones. It was pretty chilly but we still enjoyed the view.

     Our next stop was Twin Falls where we viewed the Shoshone Falls. There wasn't as much water going over as usual. Partly because of the time of year and also because they were doing some work on the dam.

     The next stop for waterfalls was the Colombia Gorge. You can drive along the old Colombia Gorge highway and see numerous wonderful waterfalls. The road is curvy and somewhat narrow but well worth the trip.

     We started toward the west end of the highway at Vista House. It was very windy that day, in fact I almost got blown off my feet. But we did have a great view of the river.

      Our first stop was Latourell Falls. I spotted a Pika (member of the rabbit family) having a snack. He didn't seem a bit bothered by all the "looky lous".

     Our next stop was the Bridal Veil Falls. Most of the falls are fairly close to the road. This one we had to walk about a half a mile to view. 

Wahkeena Falls

     The next falls that we visited is the main attraction of the scenic byway. In fact we barely found a place to park. I'm glad we came in the fall, I guess in the summer it is bumper to bumper cars. Multnomah Falls is a total of a 611 foot drop. The walk up to the bridge is fairly easy and affords another angle to view the falls.

    

     The last falls on our route was Horsetail Falls. 

     The weather was nice, the scenic route beautiful and the waterfalls magnificent. And to top it off I had two wonderful traveling companions.

     The next day we did the Hood River Fruit Loop. This was another fun scenic drive with fruit stands, lavender farms, antique shops and wineries to stop at along the way. Here's the web site where you can learn more:Hood River Fruit Loop.

     Road trips can be a fun adventure. It's nice to be able to take your time and stop to see whatever catches your interest. Most states offer free printed guides of the most interesting things to see and do in their state. It's worth taking the time to get this information. That way you can get the most out of your trip, where ever you might decide to roam.

A thought to ponder: "Look at everything as if you were seeing it either for the first or last time."                                                                    Betty Smith

Participating in:Grand Social, Share the Joy, Mingle Monday