Don was digging the pond so deep that I was afraid he wouldn't be able to get out. Building an oasis in the middle of the desert will bring abundance of life around. Good job Don!
nelio I actually had to check myself and realize that the pond liner and the overall design of the pond lent itself to being only about 30 in deep and thats it! But once I got doing pickaxe work I guess I got carried away at times LOL.
Glad to see you do something just for the enjoyment of it..it's important to take the time for that. The bonus is it helps not just the animals who will use it but also the pleasure we get from watching you accomplish it.
What a creative delightful inventive pond you’ve managed to put together, there’s nothing sweeter than the sound of trickling water, to sit beside s while drinking your morning coffee, a big well done... 🌵🏝🌵☕️🌞🌛👏👏👏
I love love your waterfall/ pond! My only thought as A Texan with snakes as well…it might be a good home for snakes in those rocks….so just be very careful which hanging around the base …but what a JOY it will be!!! You will have many birds coming to you! Wonderful…and photo taking will be wonderful!
Hi Sherry! Yes I am really on the lookout for reptiles at the pond constantly. But then thats all part of rural AZ and I knew that before moving here. I saw a gorgeous kind snake about 50 ft from the pond one time but thats about it. Love King snakes. Harmless and they love to snack on rattlesnakes. Yes indeed photo ops galore here!
I love ponds and falls had two over the years at 2 homes. One lasted 17 years before I sold. It had on average 30 goldfish. I never restocked it with fish. They just multiplied and kept a constant population. You will find a considerable amount of evaporation. Also a variety of insects, birds, reptiles and animals that will rely on that pond. Be careful about the snakes and spiders and biting insects in the rocks. The movement of water in your yard is a consoling peaceful sound. Build yourself a comfortable bench. An excellent project. Thanks for a great video. You now have a beautiful yard!
Michael did you build each of the ponds yourself? A bit of work for sure! Yes evaporation in AZ is a given. Thats why I made it deep to be honest. Yep I am always very wary of creatures here. Black Widows seem to like webs near it and I always keep an eye out for reptiles. I was thinking not so much a bench but some sort of wicker hanging swing that I can sit in. Yes the yard is definitely coming along!
Nice work. Maybe a wild horse will stop by for a drink. It would be fun to set p a video to see who stood by. The wld flowers we're beautiful. The rain bought so much beauty to the desert. Be very careful of those rattlesnakes. They can be deadly Do you had the small Coral Snake there. They are more deadly than the rattlers. Very thoughtful of you to bring precious water the the wild life. Falls is almost here. Enjoy the cooler weather it will bring.
Yes I am still discovering new wildflowers as we speak. No wild horses in this area but free roaming cattle. Fortunately they just dont like this part of their range. Yes I am always cautious about rattlers. My habitat is not very good for coral snakes so I am not worried about them. I actually love the warm weather. Just waking up and no chill at all is lovely to this Canadian who froze for years. LOL.
I love your pond! I can’t believe you did it all by yourself. Note to self: always have all your tools before getting in the hole. Lol. Great job. Can’t wait to see part 2!
Good point MJ. However I have nothing within 30 ft of the building other than one small mesquite tree. Fortunately historically this area hasnt been that fire prone. But then I lived for 30 years in northern CA for comparison.
Great job Don. any water feature in the desert is a joy to people and wildlife. My winter homebase is about 150 miles east of you, in the high desert of southern NM. The only wildlife I see here are mice, western diamondback rattlers, coyotes, jackrabbits, roadrunner & quail birds and occasional hawk.
Well Don.Looks like another good job well done to me.It`s great to see you continue your journey and really making your plot into a proper little home with all the frills.Your pond is going to give you and your viewers a lot of pleasure when it becomes established and starts to attract the local wildlife.Keep up the good work ,looking forward to the next update. ATB
Thanks for your lovely comments Amarie Shearer. No fires in my region at all. I am in the Sierra Vista area and the fires are elsewhere. Thanks for your kind wishes though!
please let me add to your statement sir; "seniors need to stay fit", yes, and also stay active and or busy! i am one and know this first hand!...................g
Right on! I really enjoyed this, it makes me want to build one and I'm looking forward to the next video of course. Wow you are really getting good at editing, exceptional! Take care.
What a beautiful labor of love! The way you work with your natural environment and find more ways to enhance and enjoy it (and doing it by hand) is sure to bring lots of enjoyment to you and all the wildlife it will benefit. Looking forward to part 2. Don, you’re doing a phenomenal job with your property. Those wildflowers are beautiful too! - Chrissy
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I really admire you tremendously. Some day I hope to get a small piece of land myself to live on. So I am trying to learn what I can.
@@margaretstafford9921 So delighted to hear that. Go for it! Do what you can yourself and barter and do frugal moves on the other stuff. It comes down to knowledge is power for the most part. Research I find is my friend and even months of careful research pays off. Thanks for such lovely comments!
Total surprise, Don, although I shoulda expected something like this of a birdwatcher. I was gonna berate you on the lack of safety paraphernalia around the pond (barriers for creepers & crawlers; life jackets and flotation devices; etc.) but it's clear others have beat me to the punch. 😍 One thing I do want to note is your incorporation of a stair in the 'development' of the pond. That is something that had never occurred to me (though my paternal grandfather was a grave-digger). Unlike you, I believe I would leave such a step in any pond I might dig in my (few) remaining years.
That's a beautiful creation. I was wondering where you have been as it has been a long time. Glad to see all is well with you. Wishing you a great week and God Bless all you do.
Great pond. So glad you posted. your last post was several weeks ago,glad you are ok. Now we know what you have been up to. Can't wait to see part 2🤓🕷️🦎
Michael tichonuk I never thought about the artistic part but it's a lovely feature I believe. Yep I will showcase some of the patrons of the pond later.
Wow, Don! The wildlife pond looks beautiful! I am blown away by everything that you have done to secure your dream retirement! You look so happy, healthy, and well, I believe you may have found a way to reverse the aging process. I really enjoy your videos. Big hug!
Hi Tamara! First big hugs back to you! Thanks for such encouragement and such amazing comments. You definitely have the gift of encouragement and its always so wonderful to hear from you! Stay tuned lots more vids coming!
You don't need to have a hole in the ground. I built one on granite ledge. Just build up. Plan for a bench that you can sit on to view into your pond. A foot or two of water in the pond is more than enough. Go for it and plan a water fall or sloping stream into the pond. Very attractive.
Wow be fun to see the pond you made Michael Chugg. Never heard of the building on granite ledge method but it totally makes sense now that I think of it.
thanks under dog. Yep I needed to do something more sedate after all of that digging for sure. I guess I could say. "Does this pickaxe make me look fat?" LOL
Thanks Don for the pond instructions. I have a small wash on my property I want to build one of these ponds thank you. I plan on diverting it a few feet with on overflow to let it go on it's way when full.
I love the pond! Can't wait to see part 2. The rock work around the blocks, is like putting a puzzle together. I made a small garden put, using small rocks. Got 3/4 around, and got tired of putting the "puzzle" together. I'm pretty sure if I attempt to build a pond, I won't be looking forward to the "puzzle" part of it. Thank you for sharing this project! ❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎🐕🐐🦍🐿️🐓🐝🐞
Thanks Laurie! Yes you would have laughed if you saw me laying down the rocks in a particular order after I figured out where I wanted them. Then having a senior mental adventure and forgetting it all and just winging it. LOL.
No question! Thanks for stopping by and your lovely support! I was using that ratchet set yesterday installing FERNCO fittings on my water harvesting project.
Very interesting nice looking pond. Good job ,should attract some local wildlife! Shows why you have flashfloods in the desert. The soil is hard clay and won’t absorb water readily.
Great observation skills on your part John! Yes caliche from what I can tell close up is some hardened mix of clay, tiny rocks, and sand. You can tell that I got a workout with the pick axe on this one. Thanks for watching!
Wow Don nice little pond you have there out in the Desert to hahaha your very inventive and it came out really good that is like things my dad used to do long ago he was a builder i would have put the liner on then put the mortar then the rocks on top but that is just me my dad made a tortuous pond years ago then we used it as a little garden after all fillint it in with soil still growing stuff if that dosent work after a bit you could do that also
Thanks so much for watching Kriss! Yes ponds definitely high maintenance but I am willing to work at it. Just like gardening or anything else it takes investment in time to keep it running and working properly. All part of it. You will see in upcoming videos I chose to make it so I could take it apart if absolutely necessary and rebuild it if major problems arose. Hope your doing good mate and looking forward to Spring.
Hi Don, Good to see you. I love your little oasis for the wildlife. Hope you can get some pictures of what comes to drink. That was a lot of hard work. It is really good for us seniors to stay busy. In the summer it's mowing and gardening for me. Can't wait for part 2.
Delighted to read your comments Teresa! Yep gardening and mowing sounds like a good way to be outside and get exercise. I have pics to share of patrons of the pond later on. Stay tuned...!
Fantastic Jennifer Bruce! Yes definitely the most rewarding project for a bird guy for sure. The other projects are needed but this one was pure joy to do even though I had some setbacks... stay tuned... spoiler alert... LOL
You impress me sir!..Thats a fantastic job you did on that pond and It's a great thing to have a small oasis like that in the desert and to hear that water flowing!!,,Wow..very nice, I wonder what wildlife will show up????
Yes! Roadie comes by to enjoy the pond in his own sweet time. He always has his own agenda as you can imagine. Including calling for girlfriends. I heard him this morning.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 yes, I made my comment before I watched the entire video. It was great to see and hear about Roadie and the pond! One day I'll get out that way to photograph a Roadrunner! Look forward to part 2
SENIOR POWER!!! Could put it on a T shirt hahahaha! I LOVE the pond! I want to have that on my homestead when I build it! I just don't know if the water will evaporate, I mean the region only gets 9-12 inches of rain a year! But I want froggies in my pond and maybe I'll make it big enough for a couple of ducks! I might make it deep enough to have tilapias but I haven't looked into requirements for THAT just yet!
Panda! Great to see you here! I eventually will get a T shirt done. It will say Offgrid living on the front and then on the back have my channel name with pics of road runners, rainwater tanks etc. Plan on lots of evaporation for a pond you build. It's just part of the picture like supplying as to your car. The trade-off though is well worth it I think! I wouldnt do ducks as they soil a pond really quickly! Tilapias is a good idea if the volume of water is great enough etc. Lots of possibilities. Your young with lots of time to plan I figure Panda! All the best and thanks for your lovely comments.
Do you find yourself thinking what is edible in this splendor of wild flowers ! I am ever sooo impressed with your water feature ! It will attract creatures great and small !
Time permitting I need to learn more angi H. I am sure there are some great medicinal or edible plants here on this property. Thanks so much for mentioning that you like the water feature. So encouraging!
fabulous video! I want one, too. Do you make house calls? I am west of Tucson & saw my first snake on the property last weekend. A gopher snake, I think...not scary. Can't wait for Part 2!
Thanks Catherine for such lovely comments! I am so so busy with my own projects it would be tough to get into the pond construction business. But... a thought for sure! For snakes look at the head and body. Gopher snakes have long elegant bodies and not very triangle heads. All rattlers have that more v-shaped head and their bodies are thick in relationship to their heads etc. Gopher snakes are fantastic and so low key and friendly.
Hi Don 😀, I have been wanting to make a pond too. And you just inspired me 😉 For the wildlife around our property we to have a roadrunner 😀. Thanks for another Great video Don . I'm ALWAYS wondering what you going to do next 🤔🤔🤔🤔 take care and stay safe . I will be waiting for your next video. 😉
I am always so encouraged when folks say they are looking forward to a new video. That tells me I havent bored everyone to tears... just yet... LOL. Thanks Doris and be well and safe too okay?
Definitely more work than i would be able to do in a year.. but now you know exactly how hard the caliche is.. It looks very nice,, soothing,, serene,, and peaceful.. Good Job.. so,, is the swimming pool almost done.?
Robert your priceless Bro! LOL. You know I have been researching DIY swimming pools... we shall see... Yes you can see the dreaded caliche easily. I was deceived thinking the first foot was easy. Boy did I learn! Pick axe time. I worked on it off and on for almost a year but intermittenly along the way... I had some "adventures" along the way. Thanks for watching Robert! Yep it is indeed a soothing part of the yard.
@@BrainStormAcres hmm. If you subscribed and clicked the bell you should get notifications from me unless there is something I dont know. Which is quite possible as I am only moderately I.T. savvy.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 hey Don - this is a problem that some have been reporting. We don’t get notifications from some channels we’ve been subscribed to for years! We’re still subscribed with notifications. The notification appeared on one of our devices (more than one subscribed) a day after the original publishing date. Go figure!
@@BrainStormAcres wow well if I can do something on my end I am only too happy to do it for sure. The wildlife pond construct turned into a bit of a saga. LOL so more vids coming for sure.
Hi Joanne. Yes! It's Arizona after all. Some people spend money on nice dinners for two or for a golfing weekend. Me: purchasing more water for my pond LOL.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 There's a guy on utube that made a cool rain roof . You can make an outdoor grilling area with the rain roof for a nice shaded sitting spot and water collection with a corragated metal roof. I can just envision that space!
@@joannehyduckhopkins6898 Yes indeed! That would be Handeeman or Derek Howlett that did that I figure. Yes the plan is to do a porch actually. That should give lots more rainwater catchment area!
Hi Harry! Great to see you here. Yep one blessed mature dude for sure. Still can run and hop in and out of things LOL. I bet your pond still got things coming to drink and enjoying it.
Aww, this is beautiful! I know you will have beautiful birds visiting you! Roadie loves it I am sure! He will bring his next Chica to the pond on a romantic date😍
Very nice work Don , im sure the wildlife will love your pond . I do a lot of gold prosoecting , and id be honered to have you as a partner , you swing that pick quite well. Thank you for sharing. Nice job.
Don was digging the pond so deep that I was afraid he wouldn't be able to get out. Building an oasis in the middle of the desert will bring abundance of life around. Good job Don!
nelio I actually had to check myself and realize that the pond liner and the overall design of the pond lent itself to being only about 30 in deep and thats it! But once I got doing pickaxe work I guess I got carried away at times LOL.
Glad to see you do something just for the enjoyment of it..it's important to take the time for that. The bonus is it helps not just the animals who will use it but also the pleasure we get from watching you accomplish it.
randy I am so blessed by comments like this. So fun to have folks watch what is going on here. I find it very motivating and encouraging.
Cool beans!
Love the sound of running water, which helps a lot in the desert environment 👍🏻
Can’t wait to see what wild life shows up.🙋🏼
Thanks a ton for watching Kim Kevan! Yep especially birds!
A trail cam aimed at it would be so interesting.
Oh...a binge watch of your videos, I LOVE my pond, which I built myself: 6wx10lx4d, with a 1ft waterfall. Love that solar pump!
That is awesome that you watched my vids Jane! Many thanks!
What a creative delightful inventive pond you’ve managed to put together, there’s nothing sweeter than the sound of trickling water, to sit beside s while drinking your morning coffee, a big well done... 🌵🏝🌵☕️🌞🌛👏👏👏
AaliYah Tova. So delighted by your wonderful comments! Thanks so much!
You started with just a piece of empty land and look what you’re doing now 🤩. Got me hooked to seeing the coming progress 👵🏻👩🌾❣️
I always think I should be a lot further along in developing my homestead. Very encouraging thanks so much Dee!
I love love your waterfall/ pond! My only thought as A Texan with snakes as well…it might be a good home for snakes in those rocks….so just be very careful which hanging around the base …but what a JOY it will be!!! You will have many birds coming to you! Wonderful…and photo taking will be wonderful!
Hi Sherry! Yes I am really on the lookout for reptiles at the pond constantly. But then thats all part of rural AZ and I knew that before moving here. I saw a gorgeous kind snake about 50 ft from the pond one time but thats about it. Love King snakes. Harmless and they love to snack on rattlesnakes. Yes indeed photo ops galore here!
I love ponds and falls had two over the years at 2 homes. One lasted 17 years before I sold. It had on average 30 goldfish. I never restocked it with fish. They just multiplied and kept a constant population. You will find a considerable amount of evaporation. Also a variety of insects, birds, reptiles and animals that will rely on that pond. Be careful about the snakes and spiders and biting insects in the rocks. The movement of water in your yard is a consoling peaceful sound. Build yourself a comfortable bench. An excellent project. Thanks for a great video. You now have a beautiful yard!
Michael did you build each of the ponds yourself? A bit of work for sure! Yes evaporation in AZ is a given. Thats why I made it deep to be honest. Yep I am always very wary of creatures here. Black Widows seem to like webs near it and I always keep an eye out for reptiles. I was thinking not so much a bench but some sort of wicker hanging swing that I can sit in. Yes the yard is definitely coming along!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 yes I built both myself.
@@canuckyank82 Fantastic way to go! Totally rewarding!
Wow, The sound of the water in the desert is amazing. Just listing to your video gives me the serenity. Great Job👏
Thank you so much 😀 Novana. High praise indeed and so delighted you are enjoying this feature to my yard!
Nice work. Maybe a wild horse will stop by for a drink. It would be fun to set p a video to see who stood by. The wld flowers we're beautiful. The rain bought so much beauty to the desert. Be very careful of those rattlesnakes. They can be deadly Do you had the small Coral Snake there. They are more deadly than the rattlers. Very thoughtful of you to bring precious water the the wild life. Falls is almost here. Enjoy the cooler weather it will bring.
Yes I am still discovering new wildflowers as we speak. No wild horses in this area but free roaming cattle. Fortunately they just dont like this part of their range. Yes I am always cautious about rattlers. My habitat is not very good for coral snakes so I am not worried about them. I actually love the warm weather. Just waking up and no chill at all is lovely to this Canadian who froze for years. LOL.
Glad to see a new post. Great job on the pond and waterfall. Thank you for sharing the beautiful wild flowers with us.
So delighted you enjoyed the wildflowers and pond Ann! Thanks for watching!
I love your pond! I can’t believe you did it all by yourself. Note to self: always have all your tools before getting in the hole. Lol. Great job. Can’t wait to see part 2!
Thanks Pam! Yep and you have seen it in real life too! Yes definitely try and remember taking tools with oneself before doing work. LOL!
Love active water features myself. 😍
Isn't solar amazing! Great project and like Don's tenacity to keep going! I love this channel~!🌵
So delighted that you are enjoying the channel sgRvtl. Cheers.
How lovely the fountain is!!!! congratulations warrior!!!!
Wow how affirming. Many thanks Carolina beier. So appreciate seeing you here!
Can’t wait for game cam footage!
hmm. maybe I should consider installing one of those.
It would be interesting to see what you have roaming around out there with you.
@@westero7013 Yep need to think seriously about a game cam.
One of your best videos yet. Glad it's close to your home.
obiwannosi many thanks!
Good Job.............Thanks.....JB.
Thanks for watching John! Much appreciate it.
Beautifully built with much love for the local critters. Kudos to you for a wonderful drinking hole our feathered friends will be most grateful.
👍
mountainbound for sure! Always feathered friends interested in a bit of water in this habitat!
Just wait till we have a record fire season! Cut back from your structures for some modicum of protection.
Good point MJ. However I have nothing within 30 ft of the building other than one small mesquite tree. Fortunately historically this area hasnt been that fire prone. But then I lived for 30 years in northern CA for comparison.
Excellent video, I was waiting every day for your video
Wow what a loyal follower! Thanks Abid! Delighted to see you here as always.
I'm thinking about doing this
Go for it Jeffrey! Lots of work but so so worth it.
Great job Don. any water feature in the desert is a joy to people and wildlife. My winter homebase is about 150 miles east of you, in the high desert of southern NM. The only wildlife I see here are mice, western diamondback rattlers, coyotes, jackrabbits, roadrunner & quail birds and occasional hawk.
Thats still a good lot of wildlife. My suspect is that there are a lot of songbirds there as well. Thanks for watching jrp616!
Amen~!
Well Don.Looks like another good job well done to me.It`s great to see you continue your journey and really making your plot into a proper little home with all the frills.Your pond is going to give you and your viewers a lot of pleasure when it becomes established and starts to attract the local wildlife.Keep up the good work ,looking forward to the next update. ATB
Many thanks mate. Yes the pond is my favorite part of the yard for sure! Thanks for faithfully watching my channel!
I was feeling for ur trials and couldn’t wait to you persevere 👍
I am known by my friends as very very stubborn LOL.
Your pond is beautiful! I know the desert critters will love it.
Wow thanks Sandra Lewis! Yes water is so essential for all creatures.
Hi it is coming along lovely. You are doing a fantastic job. Take care.
Thank you so much 😊 James! Great to see familiar viewers like here watching the channel. Cheers mate!
Good job, I'll be waiting for part 2👍😃
Great Mike! It will be fun knowing you came back to watch it!
Great job. Beautiful pond can't wait to see the wild life.
Thanks Valerie! Stay tuned for views of some winged patrons!
Beautiful, I’d love to have one. I hope you stay safe from the fires!
Thanks for your lovely comments Amarie Shearer. No fires in my region at all. I am in the Sierra Vista area and the fires are elsewhere. Thanks for your kind wishes though!
please let me add to your statement sir; "seniors need to stay fit", yes, and also stay active and or busy! i am one and know this first hand!...................g
way to go remus haynes fitness it is!
Right on! I really enjoyed this, it makes me want to build one and I'm looking forward to the next video of course. Wow you are really getting good at editing, exceptional! Take care.
Totaly fabbo mate .. i was wonderins what you were up to .. very good yes ..😁pip pips
Thanks for watching patrick! Cheers mate!
How nice that is!
Thanks KB6 LCW. Great to see you back!
Hi Don,
Thanks for another excellent upload.
Keep em’ coming!!
Hi Dennis. Glad to see some of the regulars here coming by. Thanks for your encouraging comments and yep tons more vids coming!
One of the first things Dad taught me as a kid was making concrete. Can't over mix 👍
Thanks John! I learned something today then. I wasnt sure about that one.
If your trowel or hoe gets stuck and won't move...you might have over mixed.
What a beautiful labor of love! The way you work with your natural environment and find more ways to enhance and enjoy it (and doing it by hand) is sure to bring lots of enjoyment to you and all the wildlife it will benefit. Looking forward to part 2. Don, you’re doing a phenomenal job with your property. Those wildflowers are beautiful too! - Chrissy
Thanks so so much for watching Chrissy and all of your lovely comments. So makes my day!
Beautiful work of art. Nature will love it!
Wow Margaret- such high praise. I am beginning to think I have the most kind hearted and affirming subscribers on any channel!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I really admire you tremendously. Some day I hope to get a small piece of land myself to live on. So I am trying to learn what I can.
@@margaretstafford9921 So delighted to hear that. Go for it! Do what you can yourself and barter and do frugal moves on the other stuff. It comes down to knowledge is power for the most part. Research I find is my friend and even months of careful research pays off. Thanks for such lovely comments!
Great job Don! Can't wait for more videos.
Thanks so much rnsutell. Tons coming!
All your efforts were worth it Don, the pond is beautiful.
Bec high praise! Thanks so much! Yes my favorite part of the yard for sure!
Beautiful pond so relaxing.
It really is! Linda Clausell! Thanks for watching!
That is a magnificent pond and waterfall!
That is such a wonderful affirming comment! Thanks John Clements!
Great job Don, I'm enjoying the build video!
Thanks 👍Marka! So delighted to receive comments like this one!
Total surprise, Don, although I shoulda expected something like this of a birdwatcher. I was gonna berate you on the lack of safety paraphernalia around the pond (barriers for creepers & crawlers; life jackets and flotation devices; etc.) but it's clear others have beat me to the punch. 😍
One thing I do want to note is your incorporation of a stair in the 'development' of the pond. That is something that had never occurred to me (though my paternal grandfather was a grave-digger). Unlike you, I believe I would leave such a step in any pond I might dig in my (few) remaining years.
Life jackets? Really?
Sean I am in the process of designing a safety platform/bathing area that should work fine. Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
Nice....Love it.
Thanks so much Off Grid! I appreciate you stopping by!
That's a beautiful creation. I was wondering where you have been as it has been a long time. Glad to see all is well with you. Wishing you a great week and God Bless all you do.
Thanks for checking in on me Rodney! Yes things are great overall. Just too busy... as usual. God bless you richly as well.
Nothing better than water in the desert...
No question jacqueq! It's a big magnet for many species.
We really love the fountain. You did a great job on it.
So delighted Pam and Brian. Rumor has it a pond/fountain might be a good fit for your yard too. hmmm.
Nice job ponding is fun.
A lot of work but super rewarding I find. Thanks Richard!
Great pond. So glad you posted. your last post was several weeks ago,glad you are ok. Now we know what you have been up to. Can't wait to see part 2🤓🕷️🦎
Thanks Mary! Yes always super busy here and always behind on projects. But that is the story with homesteading I am learning by experience.
Great feature, artistic and functional for Wildlife!
Shovels. Ugh. 😁.
Michael tichonuk I never thought about the artistic part but it's a lovely feature I believe. Yep I will showcase some of the patrons of the pond later.
Wow, Don! The wildlife pond looks beautiful! I am blown away by everything that you have done to secure your dream retirement! You look so happy, healthy, and well, I believe you may have found a way to reverse the aging process. I really enjoy your videos. Big hug!
Hi Tamara! First big hugs back to you! Thanks for such encouragement and such amazing comments. You definitely have the gift of encouragement and its always so wonderful to hear from you! Stay tuned lots more vids coming!
Nice job on the pond. If my ground was like yours I'd have a pond too.
You don't need to have a hole in the ground. I built one on granite ledge. Just build up. Plan for a bench that you can sit on to view into your pond. A foot or two of water in the pond is more than enough. Go for it and plan a water fall or sloping stream into the pond. Very attractive.
Thanks 👍 Cliff!
Wow be fun to see the pond you made Michael Chugg. Never heard of the building on granite ledge method but it totally makes sense now that I think of it.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I will send some pics.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 drive.google.com/file/d/0By48beHw5RXrX3hsdC1mR0psMlk/view?usp=drivesdk&resourcekey=0-mzknWqX6v4-tFhNMHHI0ZA
Love it! Digging that hole will take a few pounds off.
thanks under dog. Yep I needed to do something more sedate after all of that digging for sure. I guess I could say. "Does this pickaxe make me look fat?" LOL
Thanks Don for the pond instructions. I have a small wash on my property I want to build one of these ponds thank you. I plan on diverting it a few feet with on overflow to let it go on it's way when full.
Claudia that sounds like a fantastic idea! Just make sure you construct it the right way (spoiler alert I didnt) and go from there!
Outstanding! Love the birds talking!
Yes! Birds and more birds is primarily what I had in mind with this feature.
I love the pond! Can't wait to see part 2.
The rock work around the blocks, is like putting a puzzle together. I made a small garden put, using small rocks. Got 3/4 around, and got tired of putting the "puzzle" together. I'm pretty sure if I attempt to build a pond, I won't be looking forward to the "puzzle" part of it.
Thank you for sharing this project!
❤️🌵☀️⛈️🌈☮️🐎🐕🐐🦍🐿️🐓🐝🐞
Thanks Laurie! Yes you would have laughed if you saw me laying down the rocks in a particular order after I figured out where I wanted them. Then having a senior mental adventure and forgetting it all and just winging it. LOL.
Good video and a great job on the pond. Your going to enjoy the sound of the water and the view of all the animals.
Thanks so much Donna! Yes I absolutely love the sound and I never know what is going to show up to drink.
Nice feature. Roady and other friends are going to love it.
No question! Thanks for stopping by and your lovely support! I was using that ratchet set yesterday installing FERNCO fittings on my water harvesting project.
that fountain got me to subscribe.. nice pond..
Welcome Bonsai-Garden Dreamer! Thanks so much. This pond is the hi-light of my whole yard.
Great job.
Thanks so much Kirsten!
Very interesting nice looking pond. Good job ,should attract some local wildlife! Shows why you have flashfloods in the desert. The soil is hard clay and won’t absorb water readily.
Great observation skills on your part John! Yes caliche from what I can tell close up is some hardened mix of clay, tiny rocks, and sand. You can tell that I got a workout with the pick axe on this one. Thanks for watching!
Well done sir.
Thank you ever so much for watching
Great Video Don...The formation of a Beautiful Oasis right before our very eyes
Wow what a nice thing to say to me. Thanks Ron! going to get me teary eyed with comments like that bro.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 I can only imagine a world with more people like you in it Don. You are a special Man with a Very Special Talent.
Wow Don nice little pond you have there out in the Desert to hahaha your very inventive and it came out really good that is like things my dad used to do long ago he was a builder i would have put the liner on then put the mortar then the rocks on top but that is just me my dad made a tortuous pond years ago then we used it as a little garden after all fillint it in with soil still growing stuff if that dosent work after a bit you could do that also
Thanks so much for watching Kriss! Yes ponds definitely high maintenance but I am willing to work at it. Just like gardening or anything else it takes investment in time to keep it running and working properly. All part of it. You will see in upcoming videos I chose to make it so I could take it apart if absolutely necessary and rebuild it if major problems arose. Hope your doing good mate and looking forward to Spring.
Hi Don, Good to see you. I love your little oasis for the wildlife. Hope you can get some pictures of what comes to drink. That was a lot of hard work. It is really good for us seniors to stay busy. In the summer it's mowing and gardening for me. Can't wait for part 2.
Delighted to read your comments Teresa! Yep gardening and mowing sounds like a good way to be outside and get exercise. I have pics to share of patrons of the pond later on. Stay tuned...!
love the pond don
Wow thanks Peter Degrace. So appreciate you watching!
Great job!
Many thanks JonJonword.
Awesome cousin ❤ I was especially impressed by the precision of your hole for the pond!
Thanks Patti! Yep just whacking away with a pick axe and shovel but I kept the shape and size in mind as I dug.
Wow, what a wonderful project! I know I'd enjoy hearing the waterfall sounds.
Fantastic Jennifer Bruce! Yes definitely the most rewarding project for a bird guy for sure. The other projects are needed but this one was pure joy to do even though I had some setbacks... stay tuned... spoiler alert... LOL
@@affordabledesertliving3487 Will stay tuned!
Happy Summer. Missed your posts
Thanks John. Hope you subscribed and clicked the notification bell. That lets you know when I post something new.
You impress me sir!..Thats a fantastic job you did on that pond and It's a great thing to have a small oasis like that in the desert and to hear that water flowing!!,,Wow..very nice, I wonder what wildlife will show up????
Wow Rob thanks for the encouragement. Yes love the sound of the water and wondering who will come to drink.
Hopefully it becomes a Roadrunner bath! Looks good Don!
Yes! Roadie comes by to enjoy the pond in his own sweet time. He always has his own agenda as you can imagine. Including calling for girlfriends. I heard him this morning.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 yes, I made my comment before I watched the entire video. It was great to see and hear about Roadie and the pond! One day I'll get out that way to photograph a Roadrunner! Look forward to part 2
SENIOR POWER!!! Could put it on a T shirt hahahaha! I LOVE the pond! I want to have that on my homestead when I build it! I just don't know if the water will evaporate, I mean the region only gets 9-12 inches of rain a year! But I want froggies in my pond and maybe I'll make it big enough for a couple of ducks! I might make it deep enough to have tilapias but I haven't looked into requirements for THAT just yet!
Panda! Great to see you here! I eventually will get a T shirt done. It will say Offgrid living on the front and then on the back have my channel name with pics of road runners, rainwater tanks etc. Plan on lots of evaporation for a pond you build. It's just part of the picture like supplying as to your car. The trade-off though is well worth it I think! I wouldnt do ducks as they soil a pond really quickly! Tilapias is a good idea if the volume of water is great enough etc. Lots of possibilities. Your young with lots of time to plan I figure Panda! All the best and thanks for your lovely comments.
Well done...
thanks for the affirming comments and for watching offpher!
Enjoyed your video!
So delighted you found it enjoyable Joanna Drawe!
That’s an impressive hole there…love Roadie. Your water fall pond creation is beautiful 👍
Wow fantastic affirmation KW. Thanks for stopping by and watching!
Do you find yourself thinking what is edible in this splendor of wild flowers !
I am ever sooo impressed with your water feature ! It will attract creatures great and small !
Time permitting I need to learn more angi H. I am sure there are some great medicinal or edible plants here on this property. Thanks so much for mentioning that you like the water feature. So encouraging!
No you can't over mix concrete. The trucks keep the container spinning to help it from not setting.
Interesting Bubba! I didnt think of that but now it all makes sense. Thanks for settling that question for me once and for all!
You seem like such a sweet soul. Well done project 👍
What a lovely comment. Thanks very much!
Hope you can understand my message. My màgnetic typewriter messed up my spelling.
Definitely Kim. Thanks for posting.
Looks great Don thanks for sharing, be well
Your so welcome Michael! Thanks for stopping by and watching!
fabulous video! I want one, too. Do you make house calls? I am west of Tucson & saw my first snake on the property last weekend. A gopher snake, I think...not scary. Can't wait for Part 2!
Thanks Catherine for such lovely comments! I am so so busy with my own projects it would be tough to get into the pond construction business. But... a thought for sure! For snakes look at the head and body. Gopher snakes have long elegant bodies and not very triangle heads. All rattlers have that more v-shaped head and their bodies are thick in relationship to their heads etc. Gopher snakes are fantastic and so low key and friendly.
nice job Don!!!!
Thanks a million HMSSfrigate12! Great to see you here as always!
Hi Don 😀, I have been wanting to make a pond too. And you just inspired me 😉 For the wildlife around our property we to have a roadrunner 😀. Thanks for another Great video Don . I'm ALWAYS wondering what you going to do next 🤔🤔🤔🤔 take care and stay safe . I will be waiting for your next video. 😉
I am always so encouraged when folks say they are looking forward to a new video. That tells me I havent bored everyone to tears... just yet... LOL. Thanks Doris and be well and safe too okay?
good stuff don,
How thoughtful of you, so relaxing thank you for sharing the process :)
Juana your so welcome and how thoughtful of you to come and watch the video. So delighted to have you here.
I really like this pond. Great idea!!!
So glad you like it Dutch! Thanks for stopping by and watching!
In case it has not been mentioned, consider a ramp or some other way for small critters who might fall in, to get out.
Yep definitely will incorporate that one Dirk Norris. Great suggestion by you et al.
Subscriber base growing nicely
Yes heading toward 11000 at this point!
Definitely more work than i would be able to do in a year.. but now you know exactly how hard the caliche is.. It looks very nice,, soothing,, serene,, and peaceful.. Good Job.. so,, is the swimming pool almost done.?
Robert your priceless Bro! LOL. You know I have been researching DIY swimming pools... we shall see... Yes you can see the dreaded caliche easily. I was deceived thinking the first foot was easy. Boy did I learn! Pick axe time. I worked on it off and on for almost a year but intermittenly along the way... I had some "adventures" along the way. Thanks for watching Robert! Yep it is indeed a soothing part of the yard.
Nice job, but need dry spots or little ramp at water level to allow birds and small animals to escape that get trapped trying to get a drink.
Shane your totally correct and that will be incorporated.
Nice job Don! Looks really nice. You’ll have lots of critters coming to the water.
Great to see you on MidlifePrices Brainstormacres! Yep lots of patrons of many colors already are coming!
@@affordabledesertliving3487 that’s awesome Don! I don’t know what happened to notifications from you, but you’re on our “search out “ list now!
@@BrainStormAcres hmm. If you subscribed and clicked the bell you should get notifications from me unless there is something I dont know. Which is quite possible as I am only moderately I.T. savvy.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 hey Don - this is a problem that some have been reporting. We don’t get notifications from some channels we’ve been subscribed to for years! We’re still subscribed with notifications. The notification appeared on one of our devices (more than one subscribed) a day after the original publishing date. Go figure!
@@BrainStormAcres wow well if I can do something on my end I am only too happy to do it for sure. The wildlife pond construct turned into a bit of a saga. LOL so more vids coming for sure.
I love it!!!!
I guess you have to fill the pond from time to time.
Can't wait to see how you connect all of this.
Hi Joanne. Yes! It's Arizona after all. Some people spend money on nice dinners for two or for a golfing weekend. Me: purchasing more water for my pond LOL.
Haha, Don...I thought you were collecting rainwater...?
@@joannehyduckhopkins6898 Yes indeed! Its supplemental until I get larger catchment surfaces.
@@affordabledesertliving3487 There's a guy on utube that made a cool rain roof . You can make an outdoor grilling area with the rain roof for a nice shaded sitting spot and water collection with a corragated metal roof.
I can just envision that space!
@@joannehyduckhopkins6898 Yes indeed! That would be Handeeman or Derek Howlett that did that I figure. Yes the plan is to do a porch actually. That should give lots more rainwater catchment area!
Hi Don, Wow, Ive done this before but yors outdoes mine by miles. Great Job.And damn your agile!!! From CT
Hi Harry! Great to see you here. Yep one blessed mature dude for sure. Still can run and hop in and out of things LOL. I bet your pond still got things coming to drink and enjoying it.
Nice pond Don!
Thanks so much James! Great to see you here on so many videos!
Looks good Don, curious to see what wildlife photos you get out there
Thanks Nicholas. Lots of things come in at night... Javelina, Deer, Bobcat, Desert Cottontail rabbits etc. But the images are dark and a bit blurry.
Inspiring!!!
Thanks Luther Lutes. It's inspiring to have so many folks to share all of this with.
Aww, this is beautiful! I know you will have beautiful birds visiting you! Roadie loves it I am sure! He will bring his next Chica to the pond on a romantic date😍
Sylvia that would be super to see Roadie here with his new "Chica" LOL
Very nice work Don , im sure the wildlife will love your pond . I do a lot of gold prosoecting , and id be honered to have you as a partner , you swing that pick quite well. Thank you for sharing. Nice job.
What a lovely encouraging thing to say Robert! Totally warmed me through and through. I hope you find some serious gold!