My recent project with a little fishin report
 

As a couple of you already know I have recently bought the house of my "dreams". I say "dreams" because it isn’t some multi million-dollar estate like some may desire, but it has a lot of sentimental value. I moved back "home" which happens to be a 2600 square foot home located in west Mobile on 2 acres of property next door to my parents. The home belonged to my grandmother and was built by my grandfather (died when I was 3). I grew up out here and fished, hunted, etc. all around this area. I finally (by the grace of God and many of his blessings on my life 8) ) was able to move back here and buy my grandmother's place. As I said it has lots of sentimental value because of the fact that I grew up here, my grandfather built it and I have some space to stretch out a bit and get away from suburbia and neighbors that live a little too close. ;)


Anyways, one of the projects at the new place was to restore the small cement pond that my grandfather built for me to fish in when I was young. One of the reasons this means so much to me is that I have been told many times by my grandmother and father that HE is where I get my love from the outdoors from. They say he would fish or hunt ALL day with the last few dollars he had to his name. I only wish I could spend ONE day with him on MY boat and put him on da fishes. 8)

Anyways, my work begins on the new place. Here is some concrete I busted up from the bottom and sides of the old pond.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond1.jpg


I busted up the bottom and sides in an effort to make it a little wider and deeper because it wasn’t big enough to support fish through the colder months.




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond3.jpg


Here is a load on the old EZgo. She gets worked pretty hard everyday around here. ;D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond2.jpg




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond4.jpg


I also repoured the top and brought it up to grade so I would have a nice clean border to edge around. 8)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond5.jpg



Here it is as I poured the last bit on the topside. It doesn’t look like it from the pics, but this is the conclusion of about 2 weeks worth of work. Between work, side jobs, and thunderstorms every freakin afternoon :x progress went pretty slow. :P


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond6.jpg





After that I got the paint on the top and the drylock on the inside of the pond to seal it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond7.jpg


I used epoxy paint with the paint chips on the topside. It turned out pretty good IMO. :)


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ng/pond7.5.jpg




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...hing/pond9.jpg




With the pumps in place and the water running for a few days it was time to get some new residents for the lil pond. I decided to get a few bream because they would be fun for the girls to feed and maybe catch every now and then like my granddad did with me when I was young. 8)


Yall may also take note of the frog on the end "spitting" water. My grandfather bought that for my grandmother when they first built the place. I cleaned him up and repainted him to reuse on "pops" pond. I also clear coated him with acrylic to withstand the elements.


The fishin report.




On the way down to my buddy's pond we ran across a NASTY tempered water moccasin. :shock: I put an old fashion azz whoopin on him with the EZgo and we were on our way. ;D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pond10.jpg


Here is Darren with a typical sized fish for him. :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...g/pond11-1.jpg


One for me:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pond12.jpg


Darren with a lil better one. ::)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pond13.jpg



We got about 5 new residents and SCOOTED back to the house before a thunder boomer got on us. :shock:




Me and the girls will prolly go get a few more tomorrow. 8)

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Thats some great work STinky. Kids were checking it out as well and say you should build a brige over the center and have differnt color lights for the fountain.
Again, great job. It looks great. ;D

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

great story there stink..glad ya got to get ya grandparents place and get back to ya roots..

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Dam Stink, almost feel like bloodbrothers.
Did almost the same thing.
Spend a lot of childhood in my grandparents house after my mother died, then in 1969 we moved about 30 miles away. The house was added on constantly by my grandmother.
In 1981 I bought grandma's house, got married. And about 6 years later Daddy bought the house next to us.
Great going, nothing like plundering where you was a kid.

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Good going!! Never would have thunk I guy who were thongs could have done it! ;)

Gee that thing goes right to the porch also, is that what they call the Cement Pond? LOL

I see someone going for a swim

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Stink, you're one talented guy. Fantastic job.

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Stinkman, thats really great! It's wonderful to have the fam so close. And your quite the talented fella

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Pretty fancy livewell, convert it to salt & raise shrimp for trout fishing...........
looks great
are you near tillman's corners?

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Stink, what a great job you did! Your Grandfather must be looking down from Heaven and smiling on your work. :)

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Great work on the pond!!...and Stinky, I reckon ya take yer Grandfather fishin everytime ya go ;) ...



Good work on the Water Moccasin, too...that's the same reception Copperheads get around here ;) ...

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

looks amazing, great job there I'm sure you and your kids will make many a memory.

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Well done Stinkman, very well done ;)

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Wow I wonder how many pogies or eels I can keep alive in there??

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Looks great! That seems like a lot of concrete work, most people up here use a rubber liner. Some day I want to upgrade our little plastic pond.

http://www.monkeybutler.com/boat/temp/pond2.JPG

If you have trouble keeping things alive in it check the Ph. The new cement will turn the water very alkaline. This is something I found out the hard way and I killed a bunch of expensive fish just by putting a few cinder blocks in our pond. The concrete needs to age for a while first.

Only offered as friendly advice, I'm not trying to pee in your pond.

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Great job, and congratts on the move "back home"!! I'm about a hout away from my nearest releative, and a 1 1/2 drive to a 2 hour boat ride to my parents ::) who live on nantucket island.
The kids are going to be spoiled having there own fishing pond! ;D

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

great job stink I need a garage floor poured in tuckerton nj when can ya do it..... god bless the craftsman in all of us ;D ;D

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

this is my cement pond *,,, great for catchin mice squrriels and chipmunks :o

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...8/DSC04011.jpg

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Good job Stinky. Good things happen to good people, and everything happens for a reason. Your Grandpa is smiling down on a job well done. If you're ever out fishing alone and get that shiver down your spine--well you know.... ;) :)

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Looks good man. Impressive concrete work. Congrats on moving home. Wish I could do that someday ::) ;D

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Good job on the pond stink...maybe the concrete won't effect the ph since you sealed it but some sound advice there. I was going to ask - is it filled with tap water? Well water or what? If tap water I thought the chemicals would kill the fishies?

On a similar note. I live next door to my sister and her husband and two kids and my parents live next to them. The folks sold their house when we were in high school in anticipation of buying enough land for us all and building themselves a smaller nicer house to retire in. Mighty nice of em! Plus with 13 acres theres enough room for our kids too.

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

Thanks for the kind words guys!!


It was definitely alot of work compared to a liner one, I just wanted it to be permanent. 8)

I also got all the concrete for free. I got a buddy thats works for a concrete plant and will drop me a pallet of material off whenever I want! I have a mixer so all I had to do was get sand. Its hard not to go that route when all thats required is the elbow grease. ;)

Monkey Butler, I like yours as well. I want to get a few plants in and around mine like yours to make it look more natural. It a process as Im sure you know. 8)


I also have some lights in it. Heres the frog lit up. He kinda looks evil under the glow at night. Hard to tell from the pics though. :P

We are planning a small cedar bridge over it later on.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pnd008.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pnd021.jpg




I also caught "someone" playing in the water yesterday morning. ::)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...ing/pnd003.jpg


The kids LOVE it. I'm a blessed man. 8)

Re: My recent project with a little fishin report
 

cute pic of the kid there bud. please be carefull. those things can be dangerous with kids around.