<p>
<a title=”Read part 1 of this project here” href=”/blogs/blog.aspx?blogid=184″>Read part 1 of this project here</a>.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The second … and final day of building the new farm pond commenced without a hitch. Jay installed the stock watering pipe and valve through the dam and the grading was completed. This new pond is shaped a little like a kidney bean and should be full after the spring rains hit later this year. Although we don’t need it for stock water just yet, it makes our most isolated piece of pasture more useful because of water availability. As with our other ponds, we will fence the cattle out to protect the pond structure and water quality. And I suspect we will create a small picnic/reflection area inside the fence.</p>
</p>
<p>Kate got so excited about this project, and the fact that we hadn’t completely killed the pond-work budget, that she wanted to redo our most leaky pond before the machinery went away. This project has been two days in the works and looks like it has one more day to completion. In the process of digging out the third pond’s bowl, the bulldozer opened up a lovely free-flowing spring that immediately began to pool. I will report on this project sometime in the future.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
<hr />
</p>
<p>
<a href=”http://www.grit.com/biographies/oscar-h-will” target=_self>Hank Will</a>
<em> raises hair sheep, heritage cattle and many varieties of open-pollinated corn with his wife, Karen, on their rural Osage County, Kansas farm. His home life is a perfect complement to his professional life as editor in chief at GRIT and Capper’s Farmer magazines. Connect with him on </em>
<a title=Google+ href=”https://plus.google.com/u/0/117459637128204205101/posts” target=_blank rel=author>Google+</a>.</p>
