Project Pond

A long time ago -October of 2013- we began to grade the partially dug pond that was full of prairie grass and overgrown weeds. With an elderly neighbor's tractor and a friend's speed mover, my hubs enjoyed smoothing out dirt. Up and down and through, turn. Up and down and through, repeat.

Then, 7 months later, in early spring (May of 2014), we shook out a pallet of 100 pound bags of bentonite clay to help our sandy pond bottom seal.

With high hopes, we turned on the water and watched it rise, rise, cover the hose, and rise AS LONG AS IT WAS ON. Unfortunately, our area of Kansas just happened to be in a drought (which is quite common; that's why we crave water)! 

So despite the nice puddle that the ground was quickly sucking, we ceased work on the pond project until we did more research and talked to more locals. We didn't want to keep dumping, literally, hundreds of dollars of clay into a hole without significant or even descent results.

Later in the year, the pond soil had washed and filled in a bit, so with another borrowed machine, the hubs played worked at making the shallow end a nice beach area.

Enter April 2015. The pond receives another dose of bentonite "snow".

A separate well is drilled.

It rains! It fills! 

It takes several weeks with the new pump running, and an additional sifting of clay on top of the water. That was the clincher. But our hole is now with water. Fresh, shiny, refreshing, beautiful water.

Enough to swim in.
Days and afternoons and evenings perfect to swim in. 
Brothers and sisters and "please Daddy!" so glad to relax or play or swim in.

Even enough water for sweet C to be baptized in.

Thank you Lord! Hallelujah! What a Savior!