Well I was planning on expanding the pond before spawning begins….started making calls last week and It’s not going to happen. Due to the building boom in our area excavators are booked well into the summer, no rentals, no moonlighters…zippo, zero.

I’m not going to complain to much, my buddy has been waiting in line for 10 months now to get his new pond built.

Wow, thats lousy. Sounds like there is a shortage of dirt moving companies in the area.

What is causing the building boom in South Central Kansas?

I'm going to guess that it's pipeline construction.

It's always that way in my area. However I'm not convinced all of them are that busy. Some do big jobs and then slack off for a while.

I wish I had someone like Otto in my area. Several of the ones in my area are undependable and one will steal you blind if you let him. I'm glad I was warned about him. He delivered a few truck loads of limestone to someone in the area and handed them a bill for $20,000.

Where in South Central Kansas? I had a guy come from Medford, OK, just south of the Kansas state line, about 20 miles west of I-35 do work on my place. Let me know if you would like his contact info. He is reasonable (makes most of his money off Pipelines) and did a really good job on my pond renovation (might be an article about it in this month's magazine, if it made the cut!)

5 years ago, in So. Oregon, I rented a D-8R with rippers for a week (40 hrs), as rentals were, and are, readily available in most areas. Delievered, it cost me about $1,000 a day, and fuel was another $100+ a day (back then), but WELL worth it. My muddy, muck-hole of a swamp (after a lot of work draining it) was quickly transformed into a 20' deep, 2 acre paradise. I had run a fair amount of heavy equipment, and small cats, but never something that big. By the end of the first day, it was just another piece of equipment to me, but then, I'm the kind of guy that jumps off cliffs and builds his wings on the way down...

Do contractors think pond owners are stupid!!! This really ticked me off!

I found a basement contractor that has a backhoe, I gave him a call and explained to him what I needed done to the pond he quoted me $3800. But I need to stop by first and look it over, he did and his bid went to $6500.00 after he seen we have a little bit of money. I let him blow smoke up my @$$ for 15 minutes trying to justify the $2700. Difference, this guy was a scum bag. Any way, it looks like my neighbor is going to save the day for me, were going to split the cost for a bucket on his tractor and do it our selves…hopefully we will have it done by this weekend along with the spawning beds. Thank GOD I have an understanding wife..

Svoberts,
Small world…. I’ve seen his equipment in Medford, my parents live and farm all around that area. Do you know any of the Kretchmar or Buffington’s ?