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Jan 10th, 2023
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Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,256
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,256 |
Unfortunately my wife is smarter than I am...
I have the same problem. Prayers sent...
"Only after sorrow's hand has bowed your head will life become truly real to you; then you will acquire the noble spirituality which intensifies the reality of life. I go to an all-powerful God. Beyond that I have no knowledge--no fear--only faith."
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396 |
Ok kids,
BREAKING NEWS
Spoke to a very nice woman at NRCS today. She was very honest and basically said they only got involved with Agricultural ponds. Was very helpful with soil info and gave me several names of recommended pond builders/excavators.
Spoke briefly with two reputable excavators, they along with the NRCS folks told me to save the effort of digging test holes, all the surrounding ponds in my area have either been lined with clay
(at considerable expense they added, b/c it had to be trucked in) or put in with synthetic liners, which all recommended. I forget the name of the soil exactly but think beach, as in Daytona.
Excavator coming out Fri to take a look, asked him some test questions based on my limited knowledge, and he passed with "pond boss" answers. Also is going to bring references.
If all goes well, I think I still have a significant issue. The pond will be located on the back of the property. I have two small children, and my wife has brought up the issue of safety with the pond. We have a pool, but this has the child safety fence around it as required by Florida law. I am concerned about the kids trying to get into the "cool new pond" and getting into trouble. They are just learning to swim. The idea of a fence has occurred to both of us ,but I feel it would be no match for a determined child.
What do you folks with small kids do with your ponds?
I am leaning towards waiting until they are older to put the pond in. The kids are obviously more important then the pond. I don't want anyone to think we let the kids out in the yard unsupervised, but kids can disappear pretty quick if they are determined
Suggestions?
Solutions?
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,996 Likes: 285
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 13,996 Likes: 285 |
1) Our kids had tons of swimming lessons from an early age. This was mostly due to a Grandpa who had a boat.
2) NOBODY in the family went swimming in the pond alone or without a PFD.
3) Drag the kids back to the pond all the time. They will get more exposure to it than they want, and will have no/less incentive to go on their own.
4) There are a lot of other things around here that our kids knew they were not supposed to get into besides the pond. Other than my daughter and the electric fence, they never did. (And my daughter is apparently a natural dielectric, as e-fence never managed to shock her even as it zapped us as we went through to retrieve her.)
"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever." -S. M. Stirling ![[Linked Image from i.pinimg.com]](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ed/b5/e7/edb5e7f935843b996cf52be593c9ebd2--smoothie-smooth-collie.jpg)
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 285
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 285 |
A engineer with a a dielectric child? And some people say God has no sense of humor! 
Do not tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish. Mark Twain
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 469
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 469 |
My kids are 11 and 13 now, but we had a pool before we built the pond. The 1st rule is for you, not the kids: Teach them to swim before they can walk. It's a lot easier than you think if you don't strap floaties on them. They are like welfare, once you get used to it, you can't live without it. Then impose rules on them like not going to the pond (or pool) alone, there must be a PFD in the paddleboat at all times, let an adult know when you go to the pond, etc.
Hey Moe, I'm trying to think but nuthin's happening!
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349
Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349 |
Gallop, Thought i'd wake this one up again. Did your wife ever give in and let you build a pond? I worried about the kids getting in my pond as well. I just put up a new fence and will be installing a 2 wire electric setup on the new fence shortly. Scared the wife to death when i told her i was planning to electrify the fence. She is a city girl and figgured the kids would look like bacon strips after getting stuck to the fence. It took about 2 months of talking about it for her to understand (be willing to anyway) that getting shocked was a temporary thing and was much better than the alternative. She now assumes my current mental state is due to getting shocked too many times as a kid growing up on a horse farm. I know when i started digging my pond i hit grey/gumbo clay about 4-5 ft down and at 18 ft. still never broke out of the clay. I traded a 10ft gap bed engine lathe with a 24in diameter and 72in length capacity for the labor work digging my pond (plus a few cases of beer). The guy was a functioning alcoholic but never was late to work and never got fussy or gave any crap. Most folks around here cant afford to pay someone to repair their machines. Now he can do most of it himself with the lathe. He ran the hoe and i used the cat dozer with a bucket blade. All my clay in the bottom was put on the sides and compacted, id guess i have 5ft thick compacted clay walls in my pond. So far so good. Folks around here are hurting and will barter. Anyway, give me a buzz if you plan to be in Lake City..
I subscribe!
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Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,074
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,074 |
functioning alcoholic?--See if he ever had a job working for Mike Otto
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349
Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349 |
Is that a pre-rec for being a heavy equipment operator?
I subscribe!
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Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934 Likes: 2
Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,934 Likes: 2 |
It's not necessarily YOUR kids that you might be concerned about. It's the other kids in the 'hood. This is (regretfully) timely for me.
This past weekend, while Dski and I were on the roof of our latest project, we heard some voices way off in the distance. Yep, 2 youngsters and a dog. They were all the way at the other end of the pond, at the dam. This in of itself sucks since I methodically introduced myself to the fistful of neighbors we have and made sure they all understood that we won't tolerate trespassing. So much for words vs the power of kids in the country.
We have had a week's worth of well-above freezing temps. The ice is thin and slushy. In fact, there were a couple of open holes nearer the center of the pond. You can hear the 5 acre ice sheet heave and crack as it moves and melts.
So....we look to the direction of the voices and sure enough, the 2 kids and the dog are out on the ice. They weren't very far out (when we walked over there later, the footprints went out about 20 feet from the dam, but it is 3:1 slope that goes down to 13-14 feet of depth).
I cupped my hands and yelled loudly, slowly enunciating: GET OFF OF THE ICE. They did and scampered back into the woods in the direction of a couple of neighbors that have kids. Later, we called one Mom of a kid that I suspected. After clothing and dog description, she felt pretty sure that it was her kid...and she was not happy. She believed it was her kid with the other neighbor's kid that he hangs out with. Anyway, I went thru my brief litany about not wanting anybody on our property and stopped short of telling her how to handle her own kid....except to say that whoever his parents are, they are lucky that he made it home for dinner. She promised due diligence and a report back to me to verify her suspicions. Otherwise, I have a couple other calls to make to other neighbors.
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,799 Likes: 69
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,799 Likes: 69 |
It's not necessarily YOUR kids that you might be concerned about. It's the other kids in the 'hood. This is (regretfully) timely for me.
This past weekend, while Dski and I were on the roof of our latest project, we heard some voices way off in the distance. Yep, 2 youngsters and a dog. They were all the way at the other end of the pond, at the dam. This in of itself sucks since I methodically introduced myself to the fistful of neighbors we have and made sure they all understood that we won't tolerate trespassing. So much for words vs the power of kids in the country.
We have had a week's worth of well-above freezing temps. The ice is thin and slushy. In fact, there were a couple of open holes nearer the center of the pond. You can hear the 5 acre ice sheet heave and crack as it moves and melts.
So....we look to the direction of the voices and sure enough, the 2 kids and the dog are out on the ice. They weren't very far out (when we walked over there later, the footprints went out about 20 feet from the dam, but it is 3:1 slope that goes down to 13-14 feet of depth).
I cupped my hands and yelled loudly, slowly enunciating: GET OFF OF THE ICE. They did and scampered back into the woods in the direction of a couple of neighbors that have kids. Later, we called one Mom of a kid that I suspected. After clothing and dog description, she felt pretty sure that it was her kid...and she was not happy. She believed it was her kid with the other neighbor's kid that he hangs out with. Anyway, I went thru my brief litany about not wanting anybody on our property and stopped short of telling her how to handle her own kid....except to say that whoever his parents are, they are lucky that he made it home for dinner. She promised due diligence and a report back to me to verify her suspicions. Otherwise, I have a couple other calls to make to other neighbors. Yikes, is this the official first trespassing episode? I know it's inevitable mine lies in the future. I'm glad you weren't fishing those boys and their dog out of the lake. Well done, Bski, on keeping your cool head. I'm hopeful to take a cue from Bski and not completely lose it when faced with trespassers.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau ![[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]](http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/teehjaeh57/I_subscribe_zps69249d43.gif)
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,799 Likes: 69
Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
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Chairman, Pond Boss Legacy award; Moderator; field correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 8,799 Likes: 69 |
1) Our kids had tons of swimming lessons from an early age. This was mostly due to a Grandpa who had a boat.
2) NOBODY in the family went swimming in the pond alone or without a PFD.
3) Drag the kids back to the pond all the time. They will get more exposure to it than they want, and will have no/less incentive to go on their own.
4) There are a lot of other things around here that our kids knew they were not supposed to get into besides the pond. Other than my daughter and the electric fence, they never did. (And my daughter is apparently a natural dielectric, as e-fence never managed to shock her even as it zapped us as we went through to retrieve her.) Excellent advice TG. When we move [hopefully] to Hudland I will need to remember these useful guidelines. No substitute for teaching the chillin to swim, and swim well. I grew up on a sandpit lake and the Platte river during the Summers from age 2-15 and my swimming ability not only saved my hide in the Platte a few times but also city friends who panicked in deep water.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,597 Likes: 859
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent  Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 28,597 Likes: 859 |
There's good things to be said for electric fences.....
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396 |
Also, never pee on an electric fence, one of my old dogs taught me that.
Unfortunately for me logic and common sense has won out for the time being (I hate it when that happens) I am still planning on the near future, but on hold for now. What my wife doesn't know is that my plans are becoming more elaborate. For example, I am including plans for a bat house just off the pond (~800 bats capacity), also the idea of aquaponics is interesting and I may try to incorporate a green house/garden into the system.
rcn I would love to see your pond, and i wish i had your clay. I will contact you soon
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,066 Likes: 279
Moderator Lunker
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Moderator Lunker
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 16,066 Likes: 279 |
I've built 2 bat houses. However, bats don't seem to like mine.
It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.
Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.
Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,796 Likes: 14
Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,796 Likes: 14 |
Also, never pee on an electric fence, one of my old dogs taught me that. I did that when I was a teenager. Not on purpose, not even a dare, but completely on accident because the wire was concealed by tall grass. Was not pleasant.
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Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396
Lunker
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OP
Lunker
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 396 |
UF has one the largest bat houses of any university and they are building another one after a portion of the original bat house collapsed. Very cool to see the mass exodus of bats at dusk. I forget how many thousands they estimated were in there. What I've learned about bat houses is location,location,location.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349
Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ambassador
Field Correspondent Lunker
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 349 |
Gallop, sounds fine to me, let me know.
I subscribe!
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Moderated by Bill Cody, Bruce Condello, catmandoo, Chris Steelman, Dave Davidson1, esshup, ewest, FireIsHot, Omaha, Sunil, teehjaeh57
BG sex?
by Boondoggle - 05/11/24 11:44 PM
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