The Duck Pond has Disappeared!!

Here is our "Duck Pond" that was left to us so nicely by the previous owner. He liked his ducks, geese, goats, and anything else he happened to enjoy (or needed to keep the marshland to a minimum)LOL!! So anyhow, the back corner of the property has a natural underground spring, the neighbor has a french drain that empties onto the same area, and the street above the hill has no curb, so that water also ran onto the same area. Evidently, there was no problem until a subdivision was put in on the north side - it stopped all drainage from the back here. So..... he decided that he would have someone come in and "build" a stream complete with a big ditch and 2 little ponds. It made wonder nesting for mesquitos, and nasty looking green algae, as well as a nasty bog for a 50' x 50' area (which didn't include the "stream").

So.......we wondered, and we thought, and we called for an estimate, and we figured, and we waited, and finally got a bid, talked to him again about a different approach, and we waited, and waited, and finally got another one from him, and we called, and we got no answer, and we got no return call . . . .

So......Finally giving up on the first excavation company, another name was dropped by our good friends. . . a phone number was found. . . and Jerry Warbis Excavation came, he estimated, they started work the following Monday, they worked Tuesday, and by Wednesday afternoon, the backhoe was going bye-bye. They installed a drain field with a cistern, (btw, it already has water in it), piped the overflow clear down the property, tore up the road, laid pipe, tied into the strom drain, fixed the road, tore out a dozen or so tree stumps, used the backhoe to take several inched of dirt away from the house, did a great job of leveling (for using a backhoe!), fixed the grade on our driveway, rerocked the driveway and road in front of out house. . . all in less time than it took to get the first bid out of the other company!!!! I'm so glad that the first one didn't respond!!! The Lord was looking out for us on this one, for sure!!

I just wandered right behind them, watching Jerry with that huge piece of machinery was like watching an artist at work. He even pulled that old, old rosebush up so gently that it's roots came with it and we were able to replant it!! We've gotten the front all cleaned up and ready for the grass seed. . But not until after the Labor Day Party. The back section will just have to wait until after the fence that fell down when Tim took the "duck wire" down is back up. Then we will begin the chore of "leveling" (haha) it.

Tomorrow is my Sister's birthday - I hope she gets her gift in time. . . .