It was another fiercely hot, dry day across central Florida. There was a breeze at times that
threw the tall sunflowers around a bit (above).
Despite the heat we finished laying the concrete pathway around the new koi pond.
It was difficult work due to the heat but I got into it on hands and knees and got it done.
Notice my knees (above). The concrete dried as fast as I could get it formed into "stones."
It was considerably hotter than last week when we made about 2000 pounds of
concrete. See those images here: KOI POND CONSTRUCTION
This last section was difficult as there was pond on one side and bushes
on the other so it was hard to maneuver around everything with the heavy concrete.
I also had to construct a step with concrete blocks (above).
I built the step (near the water outflow) and made a gentle curve in this section
of walkway. Where the walkway curves the stones are created freehand.
It is difficult on the wrists. Concrete is quite heavy to work with. After a few
hours of forming stones one's wrists start to ache.
Temperatures were in the mid-90°s F (35° C).
As has been typical this year, the skies were cloud-free.
The finished walkway from a ground-level perspective.
Above: Another angle of today's work.
The landscaping is bamboo and papaya. I continue to irrigate
all awaiting the return of rainy season.
We brought in recycled concrete parking lot fenders to try
and permanently divert flood waters around the pond.
We will have to await rain to see if this was an effective solution.
When we originally constructed the pond we didn't think about
runoff rushing through the earthen floor of the garage out into the pond area.
It had not rained for months so it was not a real concern at the time.
The entire landscape is an optical illusion due to the plentiful
bright, white sand that lies everywhere.
Above and Below: The concrete fenders are insanely heavy. I estimate they weigh between 400 and 500 pounds each (181 to 226 kg each). I am convinced that their weight will be enough to keep the runoff from cutting through the earthen barrier (berm) I built along this side of the pond.
Below: Another shot of the concrete fenders used to reinforce the earthen berm around the pond.
We've been under a tropical storm warning all day. You'd never know
there was any unpleasant weather coming. It was a very sunny, hot day.
Below: The latest impact weather statement from the National Weather Service
showing that we are still in the Tropical Storm Warning area (in red).
We'll believe all the hype once it starts raining, and we'll be
thankful for whatever rain we do receive.
