Last Updated: 12/6/20

1. At 9:30 am on 11/1/20,the air temperature was 50 degrees F. I went out early because the "experts" said it was going to start raining around 11 am and then be heavy for a number of hours before letting up. Well, they were wrong. Shortly after I started working outside, the rain started and was mild to moderate. When did it stop? In the afternoon of course when I would have been out there had I stuck to my regular schedule! So, my sweat clothes over long johns got soaked through but once you devote yourself to getting soaked, you no longer care!

The 1800 gallon pond was at 54 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 53 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials except for those around the main pump which I changed completely. I also changed out the Ammocarb and oyster shell in the biofilter. I removed one one gallon pot that was half empty (thanks to raccoons most likely). Who knows what poor plant used to be in there but it was gone. I removed the large pot of bluebells from the pond and boy was it heavy! I plopped it in the basement under the grow lights but not in a pond of its own so it stinks, it is too far from good lighting, and its really large with roots now in open air. I will try to make it more comfortable next weekend as I didn't have the time. I just wanted it in before the freeze tonight. I put in additives but didn't need to top off any ponds. While I got some leaves off the nets, the ground was too wet to collect leaves, and I was too soaked. I went in, changed to dry clothes, and did chores inside.

2. On 11/8/20 around 11:30 am, the temperature was already near 60 degrees F. Where is Fall? The 1800 gallon pond was at 56 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 57 degrees F. It has been in the 70's every day so I'm feeding the fish! I didn't bring in the auxiliary pump yet as it's too warm. I changed the PondMaster filters (which normally would be brought in very soon but it's too warm). I squirted all the filter materials, put in additives, topped off ponds, got leaves off the nets, and tried to rake some leaves from around the ponds. There were leaves everywhere. Right before sunset, something interesting happened. A flock of about 100 Canada geese, the most I'd seen in years, flew by. After they passed, a bunch of leaves came down off the trees. It was from their movement way up in the sky!

3. There is so much to do that I never make a dent. On 11/15/20 at 12:45 pm, the air temperature was a nice 62 degrees F but it was windy. Both ponds' thermometers read 54 degrees F. I collected leaves on the pond nets. I added water and additives to the pond. I squirted off the main filter materials and bioballs. I moved four small pickerel frogs to the pond proper but left another five in the bottom of the biofilter because they are just too hard to catch way down there. I pulled out the auxiliary pump to put it up for the year. I lowered the two golden club pots to deeper water. They sit in the most shallow water. The pots are so root bound. I removed the two waterlily protectors as the lily leaves are mostly gone.

4. At 13:05 pm on 11/22/20, the air was 55 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 52 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 51 degrees F. I squirted off the filter materials, put in additives, added water, and collected leaves from in and around the pond.

5. On 11/29/20 at 12:59 pm, it was 54 degrees F and pretty nice. Both ponds' thermometers read 48 degrees F. I removed the PondMaster filter from the 153 gallon pond for the winter and put in the Luft pump air stone to keep it aerated. I also removed the net from that pond. I squirted the last set of filter floss/materials around the main pump in the 1800 gallon pond. I collected leaves, put in additives, and added water. It is supposed to finally get colder this coming week. I only have a few winter tasks yet to do including pulling the net off the 1800 gallon pond's waterfall (it has to stay on the rest of the pond due to herons coming in the winter) and putting out de-icers.

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