Another Summer Project
Every summer, Jim and I get some project to work on. Our latest project was not as huge as screening-in my porch, or re-cementing Jim's patio; but it still took several days to complete.
While living in this house for the past nine years, I've only had next-door neighbors for 1 year of that time. Several months ago, I finally got some neighbors and immediately started having problems. There are several small children next door (somewhere in the 2-4 year old age), who have a problem staying off my property. It wouldn't be so bad, except they keep taking the decorative rocks, from around my small pool and fountain in the front yard, and throwing them into the pool. And that wouldn't be sooo bad, except I've had to replace the fountain pump twice, after they smashed it with the rocks.
Before leaving on my vacation, I came up with a plan to solve this problem - a plan to cement the entire pool and cement the rocks into place!
Beginning the Project |
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Under Construction |
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The Finished Fountain |
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Some history of the fountain
Randy and I moved into this house on March 31, 1993, one month after we had been burgalarized at our previous home. Since we are buying this house, we decided, that May, to do some yard work. We planted "Hershey-Red" azaleas beside the porch (we chose that color only because the name "Hershey" was the name of one of our spaniels), and, for me, Randy planted a dogwood tree in the small corner portion of the front yard. By the end of the month, all those plants had died and we were left with a large hole in the yard, where the tree had been. For about $7, I bought a small blue plastic child's swimming pool, and with a left-over water pump from out defunct pet store, I created a small fountain in that hole. Our friend, Cheryl, donated a bunch of slate shingles that we laid around the fountain and pansies that we planted. We pitched in the nine cents change (from the pool purchase) and made wishes for a happy life, not knowing that the following May, Randy would be spending his last days sitting on the porch enjoying the gentle splashing of our fountain.
Through several years (and several pools!), I kept the fountain going; after each cleaning, solemnly casting the pennies back in, making wishes that couldn't be filled.
Finally, it came time to replace the pump, so I purchased a pump and liner kit to create a more permanent fountain. Now after nine years, it's about time that I have really made this fountain permanent.
MCB - JP '02 - RCR '93
I'd like to thank Jim once again for his help with this project. I didn't really tell him about the attachment that I have with Randy and this fountain, until we had finished; but it felt right having my best friend, of all my years without Randy, be the one to help me.
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A day I thought would NOT come, arrived, with a party, this Wednesday - Cliff turned another year older!! Yeppers, the man that the doctors all thought would die back in 
