Wow, Albert. I hope you weren't expecting an answer in just twenty minutes. I just logged in at 4pm and your post is at the top of the list so I would guess that by 6pm my time you will be getting some answers. Maybe I just read you wrong. I'm in a really bad mood today. I logged in to cheer myself up. The thing is that there are so very many sources and they all appeal to different ponders. There are so-o-o-o many ponds and so many personal preferences. No two ponds are alike. I must have looked at a hundred sources in the many years I was just dreaming. Most of them had some good ideas, some were obviously written by someone who had no real experience at all. You catch on to those in a hurry. There are some basics that should be followed and I will list a few. I'm sure others will have additional advice. Your area may have zoning restrictions. Check it out. I can't imagine having to fill in my pond for lack of a permit. The next thing to consider is location. A higher spot is preferable to a low spot. This prevents runoff containing chemicals from getting into the pond. It also prevents ground water from interfering with the liner. Drainage can be critical in some cases. Accidentally flooding a neighbors driveway due to an icing problem is not a good thing especially if it could have been avoided. It is better to site the pond away from deciduous trees to reduce maintenance and possible intrusion from roots. Leaves mess up everything to do with the pond but sometimes it is unavoidable. The pond should be located where it is in good viewing range for pleasure and safety. It needs to be accessible for safety and maintenance and access to electricity and water. The size of the pond is determined by many factors. If you want to have fish as permanent residents they need a particular amount of oxygen rich water for good health. A lot of fish mean larger pond size and fish grow and reproduce. Koi need more space than the comet family. They need a depth of at least three feet somewhere for exercise, protection from predators, winter cold(ice cover)and summer heat. Many if not most ponders discover they wish their pond was larger. This can get out of hand if you don't have enough experience before you dig your final pond. Starting small and cheap is no disgrace. Too small and you may be starting over. My 10 year old pond is 1000 gallons, approximately 10 feet by 10 feet. Yes, I wish it was larger, but I am too old to indulge. I will play with details. Pond shape is personal preference. Some people like geometric shapes, some prefer more natural shapes. If there is a ponding community that has a tour near you, take it. You may find your own preference is different from what you expect and may get some great ideas for your area. Digging the hole...Well, if you have a spouse like mine, you can dig it yourself by hand if it is only a moderate size. It took me most of a summer, but then I am 5 feet tall and had flaming fibromyalgia and could only do it a little bit at a time. It does make the hole very personal. Those who have access to more hands or motorized equipment can do it over a weekend. Liners are expensive and going cheap can create problems. There are all sorts of possibilities but a majority on this forum seem to go with .45mill EPDM, which is rubber sheeting made almost exclusively by Goodyear. There is no proven difference between that sold for ponds and that sold for roofing material although some are leery of the roofing stuff. Some roofing material is treated for resistance to moss and algae. It is not appropriate for ponds. Check the prices and availability in your area. Sizes vary and larger sizes must be special ordered. I got mine half price at an end of season sale. Liner underlayment depends on the soil. I have clay with no intrusions except a couple of smooth tree roots so I skipped the underlayment after the carpet scrap I tried rotted and stank to heaven because of the slow drainage rate of heavy clay even on a rise. Rocky soil or sandy debris would be a different story. Filtration and aeration is crucial. You can go with high-tech solutions or DIY such as the Skippy filter with poly quilt batting. I have a 100 gallon Skippy that I am quite content with. I clean it once in the spring and once in the fall. Others here will insist that high-tech is better. I do know it is much more expensive. You can always change to high-tech when more money is available. I think it is a personal choice. An over sized pump is better than one that is just barely adequate for the gallons. There are many factors that reduce efficiency. More gallons per hour going through the filter are better than less. I wouldn't use less than 2100 gph for my 1000 gallon pond and sometimes use a supplemental pump for various reasons. Expect someone else to add to this info. I don't buy or sell a lot of pumps so I have no way to compare. A backup pump can be a good idea for emergencies. I use a large aquarium bubbler in addition to the waterfall for aeration. Enclosed in a waterproof container it lasts about 3 to 4 years which is how long the diaphragm rubber holds out. That is what I would expect from indoor usage. I used to be able to find new diaphragms at pet supply shops but I guess no one carries them anymore. Aerators made exclusively for ponds are available. Electricity is essential and safe installation with a GFCI circuit is very, very important for safety. An extension cord is not a good idea. Sorry, I gotta go feed the critters and fix dinner. Hope this is helpful.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, but the Ohio buckeye is in my experience a messy and not very ornamental tree. I have two in the back yard, planted by the previous owner (out of state loyalty or perhaps mental defect). The pale greenish-yellow flowers are barely noticeable in spring. Leaves start developing brown patches and falling off by mid to late summer. There is no fall color to speak of. I've been thinking of cutting one of them down for several years; maybe this fall if I have the time. If you want a buckeye, I suggest another species or hybrid. Maybe the scarlet buckeye (Aesculus pavia), which at least has attractive flowers.

Bermuda is a never-ending battle. But you can get a good edge on it. RoundUp works really well at starting the process. Here is how I got mine under control. The first thing I did was to mow it pretty short. I bagged the grass, too. It will be in the way for now. If you want you can put it in trash bags and it will cook pretty quickly in the sun. Next, I sprayed the area I wanted to work in with RoundUp. Spray a bigger area than you will need for the garden. The farther away you can keep it, the better. Once it is good and brown, usually about a week, till it or turn it as deep as you can. A shovel depth is good, that is usually about 10 inches. Be careful not to walk on it after you have tilled or turned it. You don't want to compact the area. Now, water the area well. The soil needs to be moist for this to work. Next, lay clear plastic over the area and cover the edges with soil to hold the plastic down. Try to seal it well, you don't want air to get in or heat or moisture to get out. Last, sit back and watch it cook for 5 or 6 weeks. This will kill just about everything down to 5 or 6 inches. Insects, weeds, fungi, etc. With the heat we are having here in Okc you should be able to get it good and hot. I have used this many times and it works like a charm. I've attached a link to OSU's fact sheet on the process. I've had my garden going for several years now. I run the tiller through it set very shallow just to cut any weeds. I hoe occasionally, too. But the best method I've found in established beds is to lay down a newspaper barrier in the spring and then mulch on top of that with grass clippings. My vegs love it. The last practice I use to keep the weeds out is to only water the plants. If there isn't a plant there then I don't water there. I try to keep the rows dry. Any spot where there isn't something planted does not get water. There aren't too many plants that thrive in dry hot soils. Hope that helps. :) Here is a link that might be useful: Soil solarization

I agree, Carol, roasting the pumpkin and then pureeing it makes a bit dryer puree. I use the recipe from the Libby's pumpkin can, my family likes it a lot, and I've used canned pumpkin and I've used fresh pumpkin. The quality depends on the pumpkins themselves, if they are fresh, some are good years and others are not, weather is that factor that cannot be controlled for the most part. When I use fresh pumpkin I measure 2 scant cups full. Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 2 large eggs 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin 1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell Whipped cream (optional) MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. POUR into pie shell. BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. Good luck to your daughter on the pie, be sure to let us know how it turned out. Of coruse, it'll be the best pie ever, I'm sure of it! Annie