How lovely it is to hear the sound of water.
A babbling brook or creek flowing down stream over rocks and brush
which creates this ever flowing sound is just so soothing to me.
I adore water in all shapes and forms to dip my toes in
and feel the cool touch of it on my skin.
The ocean, a lake, a river (where I am writing this now)
or a precious little man made pond or should I say hubby made pond
in my own back yard is so sweet and comforting to me.
Whenever I feel I want to get away from it all I head
to the nearest water I can find.
Down to the river is such a wonderful get away.
My husband can fish, and I just sit back and relax,
enjoying the scenery and the sounds that nature offers me.
I breathe in the fresh air, especially after a little hike to reach our destination
and then I just sit. I sit back and try to take it all in,
the wonder of it all and the beauty of God’s creation.
At times I can become emotional just being in the moment
(which can be a challenge)
and meditating on my creator and His love for me.
When I can’t get to a distant body of water, I can easily go to my own back yard
and sit and listen to the sound of the flowing water
that comes from our sweet little pond that bestows a babbling water fall
as a treat for my longing ears. Then that’s all I need to trigger
the hiking getaway down to the river that my husband
and I have trekked down to so many times before.
The lovely memories of soothing peace immediately
flood back to remind me to slow down,
stay in the present moment and experience the joy of living life.
XO Jerri
P.S.
In case you want to create an oasis in your own back yard here are some simple plans to build a water escape retreat. Use your imagination and design it to meet your own creative vision. I hope you feel encouraged and enjoy the process as much as the end result.
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN BACKYARD POND
- Plan out the design you would like on paper. Decide on plot of land area where you will build (maybe under the shade of trees), then spray paint that area. Include a design for a water fall if you choose to include that as well.
- Excavate lawn, if necessary and dig to desired depth. Ours is 2 ½ feet deep.
- Decide on the liner for the pond you will use. There are many pre-made black plastic shapes and forms available at Home Depot or plant nurseries that carries pond supplies. Or you could cement the area in like we did.
- Install your chosen liner by inserting it into your dug out pond area. If cementing like us, calculate the area you will be covering with cement. Then purchase the correct amount, mix according to the directions (we used bag cement and mixed in wheel barrow) then pour and smooth over bottom of pond and up the sides to a thickness of about 6 inches. Let the cement cure for 1 week.
- Fill with water and install a pond or pool pump depending on size of pond. They are available at many places: Home Depot, Amazon, pool and/or pond supply stores.
- Landscape around the pond area to mimic nature. Consider different shapes and sizes of rocks and boulders to add a natural element and to hide the plastic or cement bottom. Have fun, get creative, do your research and decide what you like and want. Remember to figure out how you will water your plants (drip irrigation, automatic sprinklers, or by hand). Know that some of the plants you might put in will not stay the same size. Think about what it will look like now and how it will all look after the plants mature when you are planning out your landscaping design. You could also plant water lilies and other water plants inside the pond too.
- Decide if you would like fish in your pond, then make sure you provide the water environment that is necessary to sustain their living conditions. Just a side note, adding fish helps keep down the mosquito population.
- Maintain your pond by running pump daily to keep water flowing and the growth of algae down.
- Gardening around your pond by pulling weeds or pruning back bushes can be an enjoyable chore for those who love to garden. If you don’t, consider low maintenance plants when creating your landscaping design.
- Enjoy the fruits of you labor by retreating to your pond oasis as often as you like.