Creating a Lake

[tony Cecil]

I don't know how to. One day I might get curious how to do so, but right now there are just too many non computer things I do...as I have enjoyed your pictures and other people's also, I am sure mine would give other people pleasure.....
great picture of Oscar.....i have watched him grow up...... As I have said in the past " wish you were closer, as I have need of your services". Tony

 

[bdobson]

Eddie

What can I say but wow I found TBN while searching for an oil cooler for my Kioti ck35 and found this thread and many of your other ones. I purposely read from beginning to the end and only made a few detours along the way. I made the mistake of looking at your face book page after seeing one post about a new friend and that's when the suspense surrounding (Stephi and her kids) factor kicked in.

The Lake looks great. The new dam looks like it was fun to build. I hope the walking bridge works as you planed and I can't wait to see the finished rails. I am absolutely amazed how much we all learned along the way of this project of yours and how friendly people are. It seems to me that you have added some real friends to your life through your posts. I love the photos, you have a knack.

I know nothing about Tractors and land management except what I have learned by doing, (for the first time on my 5 acres with a 1acre pond). In the 4 years that we have lived hear I have taken down over 100 trees (mostly pine and cherry) for various reasons. All with a Chain saw I can't imagine pushing them over and I don't think I'll try, now that I think about it my wife did pull a 60 footer over while I was cutting it but that was dead and it snapped off 1/2 way up.

Our pond is as I said just about an acre it provides many hours of enjoyment watching the wild life from ducks to dear muskrats groundhogs and a few "tarodactls" (giant blue herons) One day my oldest daughter and 2 year old granddaughter we over for lunch one of the biggest Blue Herons I've seen on the pond swooped in for the "pond frog lunch special" my daughter jumps up and yells look at the "tarodactl" we all laughed. The pond has no fish but many frogs and turtles a couple of huge 12" + turtles. I've been told that this is why there are no fish not sure but someday I will put some in. For me, aside from the enjoyment that everyone gets from the pond, my fun comes from having my own hockey rink after I get all the nephews to shovel it that is.

A couple of after thoughts for your photos use picasa it's free from Google and will search your pc for all photos and organize them for you on the local PC and has some cloud storage also. And if you haven't already seen a duck fight just wait it's something to see.

Thanks again for all the knowledge you have assembled in this thread.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank You,

When I started the thread, TBN was using a different format for loading pictures which wasn't very user friendly. Over the years, it's become a lot better and the results are easier to see.

On the 30th, while down at the lake pretending to take pictures of the sunset, with rifles on our backs, I asked Karen to marry me. She said yes, so now everything is in a panic to have the wedding there before we leave for a safari to South Africa in August. I have wanted to build a gazebo on the peninsula since the day I started thinking about the shape of the shoreline. Now I have to have it done before August the 9th.

We have drawn the plan and started ordering materials. My goal is to make it so fancy and over the top that other people will want to get married there since there isn't anything compared to what it will be like. We will probably start on the dirt work and footings next month. Then it's a race against time to get it done!!!

If I finish the gazebo, that I hope to get the bridge over the dam completed too. If not, there is always next year.

Eddie

 

[Iowachild]

Thank You,

When I started the thread, TBN was using a different format for loading pictures which wasn't very user friendly. Over the years, it's become a lot better and the results are easier to see.

On the 30th, while down at the lake pretending to take pictures of the sunset, with rifles on our backs, I asked Karen to marry me. She said yes, so now everything is in a panic to have the wedding there before we leave for a safari to South Africa in August. I have wanted to build a gazebo on the peninsula since the day I started thinking about the shape of the shoreline. Now I have to have it done before August the 9th.

We have drawn the plan and started ordering materials. My goal is to make it so fancy and over the top that other people will want to get married there since there isn't anything compared to what it will be like. We will probably start on the dirt work and footings next month. Then it's a race against time to get it done!!!

If I finish the gazebo, that I hope to get the bridge over the dam completed too. If not, there is always next year.

Eddie

Congratulations! :cool2:

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Congrats Eddie and Karen!

 

[GGB]

Congratulations, Eddie! Here's to a wonderful life for you and Karen!

 

[bindian]

Congratulations Eddie, and also to Karen. What will be on the hunting list on the Safari?
hugs, Brandi

 

[MarkV]

Hey Eddie that is great news. My best wishes to you and Karen.

MarkV

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you. We'll be hunting plains game. I want a nyala the most, but will also be hunting for black wildebeest, eland, bushbuck, vaal rhebuck, steinbuck, duiker and Karen is going to shoot a springbok and kind of see what else she likes while she is there. Then we are going to a couple of places to take pictures of as many animals as we can.

Eddie

 

[J F]

Good for you Eddie (and Karen), congratulations. :thumbsup: It's always nice when both the future bride and groom can be "strapped" during the proposal.

 

[PAGUY]

Congratulations to Karen and good luck to Eddie.

I believe that is the proper etiquette to use. She is a lucky girl to find a hard working guy like you who has visions of his future which includes his property. Happy hunting in Africa.

 

[bdobson]

Congrats to you and Karen And God speed with the gazebo

Bill

 

[aginn]

Congratulations to you both. May you and your family have a happy and healthy future.

 

[Western]

Eddie, congrats from me also brother!!:thumbsup: You've been talking about that Gazebo, well, for a while and now you have the perfect drive to go ahead and get it done. And better memories for the wait.

Good luck and prosperous, happy times.

 

[tony Cecil]

Good luck to both of you...Eddie I swear I feel as though I know you---all these years----Very good news Tony

 

[deranged]

Congratulations Sir Eddie and Karen.

 

[GolfAddict]

Very happy for you! Congratulations!!

 

[blueriver]

Just caught up ... Congrats to you and Karen !!!

 

[EddieWalker]

It's begun. First thing we did was have a friend come over and take a few pics of us where the wedding is going to be. When I built the pond, I created a peninsula for a gazebo. I've been wanting to build this from the very beginning, but kept putting it off for other projects. Now that we have decided to get married there, it's become a big priority to get it done. The before pics.



Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

Another thing that I've been wanting to do is remove the culverts and dig a ditch to get every drop of water possible into the Lake Marabou. My guess is that I was losing about 20 acres of runoff. Half of it before it gets to my small pond, the other half between that pond and the lake. When we've had some free time, I've had my dad remove the trees that where in the way of the trench. He finished that last month. Then I had him take out the culverts. There where 20 of them, and they where a lot bigger then we had expected. First thought was to reuse them, but they are heavy, slightly damaged and we don't have a clue on how to install them. My next thought was to use them for planters or something decorative. After all sorts of ideas on painting them and covering them in tile, I came up with the idea to use them in the lake as islands for flowers. The more we talked about it, the more I liked it.



They are going to be 12 feet apart on center and installed right at the water line. We measured with my laser level and it's exactly 42 inches low. Each culvert is 48 inches long, so that gives me 6 inches above water when full. I think that is going to look good, especially with lots of colorful flowers in each one.

To get them to the water, and set them in place, I figured drilling two holes in each side and running a chain through the hole would be the fastest, easiest way to do this. Drilling with my SDS Max drill was a pain. There is a lot of rebar in those pipes and out of 40 holes, I only made it through 6 times without hitting metal. I dug out a flat pad with the backhoe, the placed them on the pad. A few times I had to use the backhoe level them off a little bit, but mostly they just sit in place.



Eddie