New Pump Working ~ Joe on Vacation?

My pond guy said I would have the new pump on Friday. He was correct. I just love it when things go like you planned.  Thank you Lilly Pad ~

Friday morning I gave the skimmer pond the last once-over to remove what remained of the black stinky goo that had settled on the bottom over the past couple of years. Nasty job.  I'm still Thor.  After removing my bucket and tools I opened the 3/4 inch filler pipe and let the water run. It took almost 4 hours to fill the pond.

The picture on the left is the deepest part of the skimmer pond. To the right of the bucket is the 10,000 GPH pump and plumbing. To clean it I shoveled out most of the rocks and underlying crud. Then I added water until the pump was submerged and ran the pump. Add water (that stirred up the crud I couldn't shovel) and run the pump. Repeat as required.

Once the shoveling and hauling and water pumping was complete it was just a matter of filling the pond, installing the new pump in the skimmer and watching the water flow again.

One interesting event happened while I was cleaning in the Skimmer Pond. Mama Mallard and Daddy Duck were coming in for a landing while I was cleaning the deep end of the pond.  I stood up. I guess it scared them because I heard all the flapping and looked up to see them aborting the landing and heading out at top speed. Kinda funny.

The new pump, like the old pump, sits on the bottom of the skimmer. Here is a picture of the skimmer with everything removed. The pump connects to the white PVC pipe. Just above that is the 3/4 inch filler pipe and that little black thing on the lower left is the overflow. At the top of the picture is the hole where the water enters the skimmer. Not shown is the skimmer basket and filter mat.

Probably a bit too much info here.

The toadpoles didn't mind the pump being out of commission and took advantage to rest on rocks and soak up the warm rays. 

It was probably a rude awakening for them when the water started to flow as some immediately got washed over the falls at Joe's Station and became the first inhabitants of the Skimmer Pond in it's new pristine condition. Of course the pristine conditions lasted about 3 minutes as the "seasoned" water flowed into the pond.

In the meantime I've lost Joe. Well, I didn't lose her it's just that I can't find her. The last I saw of her she was under the bridge recuperating from her ordeal of being trapped in the Skimmer Pond. I couldn't find her on Thursday afternoon and she was not to be seen at all on Friday. Maybe she went to visit a cousin or uncle in Schenectady.

I'm having flash-backs of last year when I drained the Bridge Pond and Joe was gone until this spring. Hopefully she will hear the sounds of the waterfalls and return home.

The pictures to the left are the oldest toadpoles. These guys are now about 1/2 inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long. Considering they were only about 1/8th of an inch long a month ago speaks well of them doing their current job... growing.

Joe Update: When I went out Saturday morning to feed the birds I looked high and low for Joe.  Nothing.  Then, as I sat at my station having my morning java fix, these two eyes appear at Humpty Dumpty Falls.  IT'S JOE!  Whew, I'm glad she is back... I wonder where she was. Our gain and Schenectady's loss.... of course the birds don't see it that way.