I hate to post a photo because the pond doesn't have its liner yet. It is looking pretty rough right now because we have been inundated with rain for the past week or so and have not been able to do squat with the pond. When we stacked the cement bags, we did not remove the bags because until it rained on the bags the cement inside was still loose. So, now with all this rain the bags are disintegrating and they look awful. At least we now can see the cement underneath and, yes, I think it will look like gray fieldstone once the wrappings are off. But right now? Sort of hideous, in my opinion. But I PROMISE to post photos when -- or IF -- we can ever get back out there and do some more work, hideous or not. You will at least get an idea of what it is going to look like when finished. Gary -- I think my stones will have rounded edges. We plan to go shopping for them next week as our pool 'advisor' has told us of a great place to find them. I sure hope it gets hot again because the EPDM is going to be pretty stiff as we try to position it into the bottom of the pond. So, naturally, I'm hoping for a short heat wave!

Ouch, July and August are harsh times to visit Phoenix and San Diego. Bet you were miserable. I dearly love both cities but after living in Oregon for so long I must visit in cooler months. If the fish is missing with no disturbance of plants and no scales or bones laying around it was likely a bird. Heron or kingfisher. Raccoons make a mess like a tornado and cats aren't very likely to actually catch a fish and if they do they often just play with it rather than eat it so you find evidence. Birds scoop them up and swallow them whole. Hope the Scarecrow does the trick for you. Easier to transplant tadpoles in spring than adult frogs to have them stick around anyway. Adults tend to leave.

There are several ways to lay a net over the pond. I used the PVC pipe method with tent stakes and pieces of rebar for mine. It is pretty simple, but my net is only 12x20. I would leave gaps so that critters would not get caught under it. It was long enough to go up over the waterfall also. You might be able to use buckets filled with rocks or cement with a stick in the middle, using a tennis ball to keep from poking through the net. Just place filled buckets into the pond in various places and drape the net over it, holding it down along the edges with tent stakes. Last Fall 2009 using PVC frame:

Sunday update: My box still just has an empty nest. I wonder if it's a dummy nest????? Only saw the sparrow once today, but the wrens were around once too. Ugh. Wish the bluebirds would nest in my box, but at least both male and female are coming to my yard to eat mealworms. My neighbor's box had one egg in it today! Being that they are out of town, I am monitoring their box. We put up a baffle (metal stovepipe) and made and installed a sparrow spooker today. It is quite the spooker too! We actually bought fringed mylar and stapled it to the dowels after priming and painting them so they will hold up in the weather. We made three spookers, hoping I will need one and made one for another neighbor too. Question: Is there anything we can do to keep the wrens away?