May 5, 2006 (actually posted May 22, 2006; Note: My darling wife of nearly 27 years died on May 6, 2006, of a blood clot to her lungs [pulmenary embolism]. The work shown on this page was done the day before her sudden and unexpected death. The posting of this commentary was delayed for obvious reasons.)
The reconstruct of the new plan is well underway with much, much work to be done yet. I have completed the laying of the mainline loop which now "dog-bones" to the southwest end of the yard toward the family yard fence. I am in the process of building the tunnels and leveling the area which will become the new patio.
One of my good critics suggesed on one of his visits that Lee's Mill Pond was really too small. Since I will be putting in a kidney shaped pond next to the new patio, I figured I would follow his suggestion and move the preformed pond thereby making space for a larger "free-form" Lee's Mill Pond. I put the idea on the back burner until I went out to check on spring weed growth and discovered that the spring heat had caused some movement in the rubber liner where the stream transitions into the waterfall. The result was water running behind the waterfall under the pre-formed pond. As water flowed under the pond, the pond itself was emptying and floating. In a spur of the moment decision, I removed the pre-formed pond and started digging.
I got the rough hole done that day. The next I had to decide how to finish the edge. I have never really liked the way I have seen ponds integrated into garden layouts with the edging rocks out of scale and the options for water action by layout characters minimized by the distance to the water. I don't know that the solution I came up with will work either, but by placing 6"x6"x2" pavers on edge inside the pond edge, I am able to get the water level right up near the ground level.
The water level is controlled by a floating valve that will someday be disguised as a fishing boat. The water source is the sprinkler system which will also bring water to plants that will hug the east side of the pond between the pond and the rails and will populate the "Sierras" to the north. Lee's Mill will sit on the west side of the pond where there is a double thickness of pavers. My grandpa Lee never milled grain or used a water driven mill. He did mill lumber, so, even thought a mill with a water wheel is more picturesque, I have pretty much concluded Lee's Mill will be a lumber mill perhaps modeled after Sutter's Mill in the San Fransisco area. A water flu wil bring water from the falls to drive the mill wheel. Of course plans may still change. Only time will tell.
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