Thursday 28 June 2018

Our trip is over, time to get to work

Indeedy! What a trip to see the younger two grandies. [Vancouver and kidlets!]
I've curated a bazillion photos from our trip. I've dumped some, edited some of others. I listened to an interesting CBC radio program at 4:00 a.m.: Overlooked: Photography and the Smartphone (an estimated 1.2 trillion photos being shot a year,)

I found that I'm not the only one to take a LOT of photos! I don't have a cell phone, let alone a smartphone. 
Anyhoo, back to my Ms. Maintenance stuff...

Water fountain

I have worked my buns off. After our trip out west to see the kidlets, I resigned myself to get the birdbath fixed, as well as the water fountain.

The water fountain was a surprise present for JB, from me. It was almost a surprise, as he was napping when they arrived to install it. Sadly, he began doing dishes as he looked out the kitchen window, and saw them walking by! He does dishes religiously.


 A Swainson's Thrush and a blue jay. The birds love it, as much as we do.


I uncovered it this spring. There were helpers. Cats love cement, don't they?!


My big problem was lifting off the tiers, then replacing them. On Friday (June 22), we had guys in to clean the chimney. We asked, and they helped by putting the sections back on for me, after I'd worked an hour on it. It still didn't work. Back to the drawing board.


I spent 6 hours Friday, all told. Hubby took pity on me.  I had the hangries, and he got out of Dodge. He brought me home a pre-made pizza, and wine! I put my feet up that night.

On Saturday, I spent another 3 hours on it. The company that put it in refused to come and fix it. What I wanted was a new motor, and a new topper. I gave up, turned it off, and we went to see a tennis game in Kingston. (More on that: Kingston Tennis Club – Sat., June 16th.)

When I did my research, I found out a new motor was only $40.  Last year I had broken off the piece, the one that pokes up, to which the copper pipe attaches. I had jury-rigged it, and severely compromised it last fall. Without the copper piece, it topples over.

I ended up cutting the copper pipe in thirds, and attached them with fish tank plastic tubing. That worked, by day three, when I realized the tubing was kinked under the first bowl. With the bendy plastic, I can tip it over and slide on the bowl toppers. Voilà!

Broken birdbath

broke my birdbath last winter. (It was the way I'd put the heater in, the top 4" froze.) Me bad. You can see the ice on the side of the pedestal, as it leaked out. It held water, up to a certain point.


I had some advice about getting some premixed cement. I never even thought of that!
Out To Pasture said...
Sorry about your bird bath. I have two. One cement and one metal. The cement one cracks and I just mend it with cement repair compound. 

I applied it twice, two containers worth, and it worked after the second coating. Everyone is happy.

Happy dance!

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8 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

You're pretty handy.

Nancy J said...

Is that Hooper lending a hand? It is not fair or right when tradespeople do not come, but you are the best, all sorted. A little Google, brain power and help from another blog friend and Voila !! All done.

RedPat said...

That is a super blue jay pic!

William Kendall said...

Hooper looks quite comfortable in the fountain.

Until the water starts.

Red said...

Very nice water fountain. birds are attracted to the sound of water.

Tom said...

...what a wonderful way to capture nature!

Lowcarb team member said...

Super fountain.
Love the blue jay.

All the best Jan

Out To Pasture said...

Thanks for the shout-out, Jennifer. That tiered fountain is certainly a beauty and can refresh several birds at the same time. Glad you persevered with the pump repair. The falling water must sound so soothing, especially during this heat wave! I love the buck with velvet covered horns having a rest among the wildflowers. Can almost imagine it chewing it's cud. Oh, and Hooper looks adorable in that fountain tier.