The Pond

Hidden Cove RV Park
Arley,    AL

We are currently spending a few days at Hidden Cove, one of our favorite parks.   More on that later.

As promised ....  our pond.   When we bought our property in December 2016 we wondered if there was once a pond between the house and the road.

At settlement we asked the previous owner if there was a pond at one time.  She confirmed there was.

A few weeks after we moved in our neighbor, Hilton, came over and bush hogged the area.

Of course it didn't take long for growth to grow.  While we were away over the summer, we were delighted  when we returned to see that he had bush hogged again. 

Last October we bought a tractor with a bush hog attachment and Leonard was able to keep some of the land cleared.  Since there is a natural spring there, some areas were just too wet to handle.

A few months ago we contacted an excavator who specializes in pond building (or is that digging).
He moved the Track Hoe in one afternoon and started digging the next day.

Immediate water rose from the spring.

Before the levees were built and ground leveled.   They later brought a bull dozer in to build the levees.

Looking better.   Levees built and leveled.

We have a creek that runs along the side of our property.   A temporary dam was built and an overflow for water constructed.  Now to wait for the rains.  It came.  Water flowing into the pond from the creek.

Len and the girls picking up rocks so grass can be sowed.

Visitors even before the pond was full.

The pond is full after recent rains.   Now waiting for ground to dry enough and rains to stop so we can seed it for grass.

We greatly enjoy the view from our porch.

Until next time.....

Texas to Kentucky

Back Home in Cullman,  AL


Our Granddaughter Lindsey graduated HS with honors on Friday, June 1.

On May May 30 Leonard and I took off for Conroe TX and the Lake Conroe Thousand Trails RV Park.   Nice park.  We've been there several times.   They have expanded with a new lovely looking loop.  However, poor planning.  Many of the sites are so steep to enter motorhomes and many trailers would scrape bottom backing into them.  We tried. No go.  Found a more level site.  The entire time we were there, those several steep sites were unused.

Conroe is about 50 miles from where the family lives in Pearland.    I HATE HOUSTON TRAFFIC.  The graduation was in an arena in Houston.   Took us an hour just to get out of the parking lot. On Saturday D'Juana and Joe had a crawfish boil of their house.  Even on Saturday, this is what to expect.  But Joes brisket and D'Juana's broccoli rice were well worth the trip. 

We left Conroe on June 3 and drove to Leonard's hometown of Vinton, LA where we camped for one night only.   We wanted to visit our friend Diana.   Her beloved husband Teaux had passed the week before.  We both adored Teaux.   Diana introduced us to a local Italian Restaurant.   The BEST sauce I've ever had.  We pray for Diana's peace and healing.

Then on June 4 we headed back to Alabama.  We had planned to park a night of the road as it is over 550 miles.  But we both wanted to get home.  So we pushed it a bit. 

Glad we did.   As for several previous days Leonard was being bothered by a rash and itching.  It got worse and worse.   Once home, it was so bad we went to the ER in the middle of the night.  We wondered what was causing it.   Then it hit us...... he started taking new meds for gout.  Yup, that was it.  No more meds.   No itch.  No rash.

We were home for a week and a half.  On June 14 we trailered to  WAX COE park near Mammoth Cave, KY.

There we met up with daughter Amy and SIL Scott with granddaughters Charlotte and Abby.

The girls are now with us for about 7 weeks.   

Yesterday they helped Grandpop pick up rocks from around the new pond area.  We are loaded with rocks.   Abby got to drive the tractor.

More on the pond at a future posting.

Until next time.