Sunday, March 21, 2010

Dogs Wearing Life Vests

Here is Janeen and our three dogs wearing their life preservers.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Speed Fell Through the Thin Ice on Duck Pond.

This morning around 9:20, Janeen headed for a walk out on the wetlands with the three dogs. A few minutes later fearless Speed was out on the new thin ice probably out investigating the duck decoys that I had placed out there a few day's ago.

She fell in and could not get out on her own. After realizing this, Janeen tried to call me at 9:29 am. I was busy helping with a Jackson Lions project up at the home show at AGCO. After trying five times to reach me, she finally call my brother Bob who called me and got in touch with me.

I left the show immediately and rushed home thinking the whole way that I would arrive home to a drowned prized hunting dog and my wife in tears from having just witness such a tragedy.

I arrived home and saw Speeds head was still above the water. I quickly pulled on my chest waders, grabbed my life preserver, and drove as fast as I could on my atv down to the waters edge.

After assessing the situation and realizing that she was somehow still alive after being in the water around thirty minutes by the time I stepped foot in Duck Pond.

I broke Ice for a couple hundred feet to get out to her. She was standing on the bottom in chest high water waiting for me to get there.

She was shivering and it felt like I was dragging a gunny sack full of potatoes through freshly broken path of ice.

Once she was out of the water, I put her on my lap upside down on the atv and rushed to the house. Janeen had called the vet for advice and they said warm water was the best thing to regain core temperature. So into the hot tub we went. I put her in and crawled in myself to calm her as the tepid water filled the tub.

After about an hour, she stopped shivering so we fed her and welcomed her back into living in the house for a few nights.

She was warm and cleaner than she had been in quite some time.

Lesson Learned, We own dog life preservers and will try to have them on the dogs when thin ice is a hazard.

The first photo is me in the tub sharing the experience with my little buddy.

The second photo is Janeen pouring warm water over Speed.

The third photo is Duck Pond with the ice from one night of ice (An inch or more on the south side). I took this photo this morning.


Friday, March 19, 2010

Full capacity has been reached

Duck Pond and Shorebird Pond have reached their full holding capacity and water is freely spilling over the spillways.

Goose Pond will begin spilling over in the next day or so. It is 3 inches shy of capacity.

Combined they hold approximately 30 million gallons of water and cover in excess of 35 acres of land.

The important thing to remember is that the there is no head pressure on the tile lines on all sides of the wetland. This means that the drainage tile can drain freely with out backing up.

The wetlands are functioning as designed.

I encourage everyone to look east as you drive by on County Road 17.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Pictures of Basin A - Duck Pond



The first photo is from Basin A - Duck Pond looking back at farmstead. Ruby's Farm is now a waterfront property.

The second photo is a beautiful sunrise over Duck pond.