Exhausted, but progress!

All we lack is finishing up on the new water feature. My husband is going to do the wiring. Right now I have it running with an extension cord. Here's my grandson digging the hole.

Then the fun part began...

Because my husband refuses to let me decorate the outer edge with rocks, I just have to do the best I can within the constraints I have to work with. I covered the grate with a cloth, hoping less dirt, debris, and light will get into the reservoir. It'll fade to gray before long wherever it's visible.

I still need to put lots more pebbles on the grate, but I just couldn't do any more today. Wrestling the big center rock was a killer. But ugly or not, the birds will love it. The basin is just right for them. When I get pictures of great birds bathing, I won't mind the esthetics as much. Hopefully.

That pole my husband demanded for an electrical outlet will get cut shorter, and I'll camouflage it with a fake rock made by me. All in all, I'll be satisfied. So eager for birds to use it.

I had asked my sisters to be on the lookout for a good basin rock. Initially, I rejected this one they found, as too heavy and difficult to work with, and rather ugly. However, I couldn't find anything more suitable, so brought it to town. It's working out fine.... if I just never have to move it to get into the reservoir. After I get rested I'm going to do some more esthetic tweaking, but this is it for today. The only cost so far was a new pump I persuaded Hugh to let me buy. It cost $16 plus $4 for the tubing, but all the pumps we have put out too much water. So glad to have this one!