New Pond, Stage One

The workmen arrived shortly after 8 am to dig out our old garden pond and install a new one. Rocks, pebbles, plants and water had to be removed and laid out on the grass. A cement mixer was brought into make the mortar to lay the surround of brieze blocks. 

They finished just after four pm and left, which is when I took this shot. It's out of focus but I wasn't feeling my best as we'd had an arduous weekend trip to Belgium (back blips coming) and I'd been to the doctor first thing for a steroid injection in my arthritic knee. Both knees are arthritic by my right knee has been increasingly painful since the end of last year. The doctor told me to rest for 24 hours. Len has been keeping me to it.

I'd anticipated pain from the injection. In the end, it was very simple and I hardly felt anything. Pleased with this  young doc. He's told me that I can only have three steroid injections in the site before being put on the list for a knee replacement. If it works, I should be able to avoid that fate for some while.

The big excitement was that the workmen had found a common newt, a huge quantity of tadpoles and two frogs in what remained of the old pond. They'd transferred the creatures to a trug with some of the water and a bit of duckweed for them to feed on. No sign of the newt when I went to look. The tadpoles were milling around.

The new pond is to have NO duckweed. All the plants, rocks and pebbles will have to be thoroughly washed clean of it. We do get a maintenance agreement with the pond for which I am very grateful. Neither Len nor I have the mobility nor agility to get round or into it.

Judged a Coalville Photographic Society photo competition in the evening. Many thanks to Pete for being my chauffeur for the night. I had to choose the best print and the best dpi of the year and announced the names only to the chairman. The winners will be surprised at the annual presentation dinner in two weeks. There were some excellent photos.