When Ray started to dig the “test pond” I didn’t show much interest.
Sure, one day it would be nice to have a pond, but I wasn’t mentally there yet. I wasn’t eager and excited to get it going like I was with the swales.
To me, it looked like a big hole…a fun place for the boys to play and get messy.
Then, it filled with water.
Suddenly, instead of a big muddle of dirt and grass we had a beautiful, glassy and peaceful pond.
Soon, we heard the croaks of frogs mix with the buzz of bees and bugs.
Blue dragonflies, skimmers and other water bugs started to appear, chasing each other over the surface of our little pond.
We found tracks of birds, deer and other four legged critters at the water’s edge.
We also found life in the water.
Tadpoles at various stages of development swam and darted around just below the surface of the water.
There were no signs of the goldfish we’d dumped in a week earlier, but there was life in, around and above the water.
Our ‘test’ was a success.
a pinch of homestead 
We recently put in a pond, so I can relate. The sound of frogs reminds me of childhood and is deeply satisfying.
Congrats on being a pond curator! We had ours dug about 13 years ago, and it’s always a source of entertainment and relaxation (and also work…those cattails are pretty, but invasive!)
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