Thursday, January 13, 2011

On Frozen Pond

Or perhaps that should be One Frozen Pond.
This week has been the big moment that I have been waiting for. .
prolonged cold weather.
I've been wondering how the pond would do with extended Cooooooold.
With our waterfall, we could leave it running all winter long. But, if we had more than 3 days straight where the temperature didn't rise above freezing, we had to turn it off.
By the third day, the waterfall had iced over itself and though the water still ran ever so slowly under the ice, the resevoir was usually pretty low by then.
This past week has been really cold here!  This picture was taken Monday morning during the snowstorm that provided us with a couple inches of much needed moisture.  Sunday was the last day of above freezing temperatures here until today. 
I have been tickled to watch the birds step out on the ice and walk on the frozen spots. They peck at the ice a little, and sometimes walk up to the edge of the ice and water to get a drink.
The far edge of my pond is just a couple feet from a sunflower feeder that the finches, juncos, and sparrows have been swarming the last few days.
They are pretty entertaining to watch.
Tuesday morning the thermometer said -4 at 7 am.  The pond was completely iced over. 
The falls continue to push water under the lip of the ice and the skimmer at the far end is recirculating the water back through the waterfall.
Wednesday morning the ice was a little thicker.  Some of the water is running across the ice from the falls and is icing over the TOP of the ice layer, making for some interesting ice patterns.
I could see steam rising off the water in the falls Wednesday morning, which was an interesting site!
It warmed up to mid 20's yesterday. .which was nice
And these guys appreciated the sunbeams too!!

And the evenings have been creating beautiful pastel sunsets. . which have been striking with the snow!
Here's the pond this morning. .Looks cold!! The last 3 nights have been in the single digits. .and in the 20's during the day time.  Today's forecast is mid 30's. .and in fact, 43 right now.  The ice is melting away nicely. Maybe by tomorrow, I will be able to see the state of the goldfish, though I expect to find them well!
We're glad to see forecasts for the mid 40's for the next several days!!
And I'm sure that these little jewels are even happier than we are about it!
The moral of this story has been that I am SURE glad with the pond's performance in the cold thus far. .and since we do not regularly have that many days in a row with sub-freezing temps. .I am relieved that the pond should continue to function well throughout the winter months!!
Hope you all are enjoying some warmer weather where you live too!
Have a great weekend!

9 comments:

  1. Your pond is awesome. I'm impressed that the water didn't freeze more. Keep it moving! It looks really pretty with all the frosty layers. I'm sure the birds are very happy with a water source. Since I won't be installing a pond, it is so nice to watch your pond develop. Thanks for sharing it.

    I know we got to at least 37 today. I like it to warm enough to clear the roads and then it can be colder again to keep the snow cover on everything else.

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  2. Enjoyed seeing about your pond in this cold weather. Pretty even with the ice and snow. And, you have a GOB of birds! That looks like it would be great fun to watch. We have a few at our feeder, out our front window. :)

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  3. First of all, the pond is beautiful frozen! 2. I love your kitties. They are so pretty! and 3. The picture of the one bird looks like it belongs is a magazine!! LOVE it!

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  4. I really enjoy looking at your snow photos. The first one of the wagon wheel is my fav. Love the pond and the birds.

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  5. Great job of photography. I loved to watch the goldfish come to the top of our pond to snatch a bit of food when the pond was thawed enough. But most of the time, they hung out in the deep water. Always amazed me that they can survive what looks like solid ice blocks for several days on end!
    Please keep posting those pictures. Love seeing the bird!

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  6. Very pretty pictures. I really enjoyed the 10 degrees that it was walking into work this morning rather than the -4 that it was Wednesday. :)

    Kristi

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  7. So glad your pond is doing well! I like all your birdie pics. What's the name of that last bird that's got a yellow chest and head? I've been wondering if those are vireos but the web pics never convince me for sure.

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  8. Dana. .they are gold finches! They are really pretty little birds.

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  9. That one little guy looked like a skater! So pretty, but i'm also very thankful for heat. I have enjoyed the extremely beautiful sunsets, but also the sun rises with a cup of coffee. It amazes me how God can paint the sky in panorama color and then add texture by bouncing the light off the bottom of the clouds. Breath taking. DJ

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