She replied, “About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by.”

“No,” he said, “I mean what is the foundation of this case?”

“It is made of concrete, brick and mortar,” she responded.

“I mean,” he continued, “What are your relations like?”

“I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my husband’s parents.”

He said, “Do you have a real grudge?”

“No,” she replied, “We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one.”

“Please,” he tried again, “is there any infidelity in your marriage?”

“Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don’t necessarily like the music, but the answer to your questions is yes.”

“Ma’am, does your husband ever beat you up?”

“Yes,” she responded, “about twice a week he gets up earlier than I do.”

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, “Lady, why do you want a divorce?”

“Oh, I don’t want a divorce,” she replied. “I’ve never wanted a divorce. My husband does. He said he can’t communicate with me!A teacher was trying to get one of her students to understand a math problem by asking him this: If there are 3 birds on a powerline and a man shot one of them, how many birds are left.
He answered none, because the gunshot scared the other birds away, she answered back,”I like the way you think.” Then the student asked the teacher if there are three women sitting on a bench eating ice cream, one is licking the ice cream, one is biting the ice cream, and the other is sucking the ice cream, which of the three are married? The teacher turned bight red and said,”The one that is sucking the ice cream.” He answered,”No, the one with the wedding ring, BUT I LIKE THE WAY U THINK.”

If you have already put up some birdhouses in your own backyard, you are probably wondering how you are going to attract and get more birds to come and visit your birdhouses. This article provides some ideas that you can easily implement to attract more birds to your backyard and your birdhouses.

First, as with humans, food is always a popular way to attract birds to your birdhouses and your backyard. You can provide different kinds of food to cater to different types of species of birds. Some of these food include nectars, small insects, fruits, nuts and seeds. In addition to these food sources, you should also always provide fresh water to the visiting birds. Bird baths and small ponds are some good ways to provide the visting birds with water.

The fastest way to a bird’s heart is through its stomach. By providing food and water to the birds, you are performing bird feeding. Bird feeding is also a great way to observe different species of birds and their respective unique characteristics. Bird feeding is particularly important to birds because it provides them with a source of food and water during periods when food and water are scarce such as winter time. However, bird feeding can be done all year round as it supplements the visiting birds with their food needs. As such, its a great way to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard.

So how can you use this knowledge to attract more birds to your birdhouses and backyard ? For one, you can choose a safer spot in your backyard and set up a simple feeding station. The spot you choose should preferably be away from predators. You can take some precautionary measures to make the chosen spot safer like installing a ultrasonic cat deterrant and making sure there are no food near the spot so as to avoid attracting hungry animals. You can encourage birds to visit your feeding station by placing bird food in different areas around the feeding station. You can then vary the distance and shorten it as time goes by.

As mentioned, you don’t have to build or buy an elaborated feeding station. The most important factor that your feeding station should have is the ease in which you can maintain it. It should be easy to refill, it should display the food prominently to birds, it should also hold a reasonable amount of food so you do not have to keep topping it up with food and finally it should be able to hold more then one bird at one time. Some of the simple feeding station you can consider buying would be the tube-feeder in which the seeds stay dry and its design prevents spillage of food or you can choose the hopper type of bird feeders which dispenses food automatically when they are needed.

As for water, it is essential if you want to attract more birds to your birdhouses. You should note that different species of birds have different requirements of how deep they like their water source to be. For example, some species of birds like small puddles while other birds like bird baths that are relatively deep. Providing various depths of water will attract different species of birds. However, do take note that your water depth should not be more then 2 inches deep as some birds may drown and do not choose a bird bath with an elaborated and striking pattern or design at the bottom of the bath as it may confuse the birds and discourage them from using the bird bath.

Besides all the points mentioned above, you should also keep in mind the number one factor that influences the attractiveness of your birdhouse to visiting birds. What’s the number one factor that people always don’t take note ? Its the safety of your birdhouses to the visiting birds. If you are attracting a certain kind of species of bird, customize the entrance opening hole of the birdhouse to suit just the species of bird you want to attract. Removable of birdhouse perches and the reduction of backyard predators also play a big part in making your birdhouse safer and more attractive to birds.

*Cleaning

In a healthy pond, with a properly functioning nitrogen cycle, water changes can be minimal. I still recommend a water change of 10-20% per month on a healthy, fully functional pond. In a newer pond larger and more frequent changes may be necessary.

If your pond has a KH below 80 ppm and a pH below 7.0, I would first look to possible causes. One common one is the buildup of organic mulm on the bottom of the pond. The decomposition of this will produce nitric acids which will affect the pH and KH. Since most pond keeper have koi or goldfish, this is important to note, as both these fish do much better at a pH above 7.2 and need the calcium provided by the KH for proper osmotic function. See “Proper Calcium, Magnesium and KH in Aquariums” for more information about Calcium KH, and GH.

If a lot of leaves fall to the bottom of the pond vacuuming them or raking them out is important to prevent organic buildup.

Water changes also will help with pH and KH if your tap or well water is slightly alkaline and has a KH above 80 ppm.

*Feeding

Feeding a quality diet can be beneficial for growth, breeding, color, and eve the environment as there is less nitrogenous waste to add to the water column.

You want a food high in aquatic based proteins (although not too high in protein as most koi and goldfish are more “grazers”). Whole fish meal or white fish meal is a good source. An amino acid that is important to koi and goldfish is DL-methionine and is found in Whole fish meal as well as peas.

Cereal is not a good source of energy for fish as it is in humans, fish utilize fats more for energy. Cereal is mostly used as roughage and to move other nutrients thru the digestive tract.

In summer months I usually feed twice per day, as temperatures fall below 70 F in the pond I feed once per day. When temperatures fall below 60 F in the pond I feed every other day or less, depending on fish feeding habits. Below 50 F, I do not generally feed.

For adult Koi there are several quality foods available: Hai Feng, Sanyu, A-Zoo, Hikari, and Nursery-Pro just to name a few. For goldfish or shubunkins I recommend Spirulina 20 Flake, Hikari, or Sanyu. For fry (in addition to natural foods that will be available around the plant roots and other calm areas of the pond), I powder Spirulina Flakes and stir it into a cup of water, then pour this solution into the area the fish fry are at.

*Winter Pond Care

It is important in winter to keep at least a small section of your pond open for proper exchange of gasses (O2, CO2), if water can still flow into the pond through a water or aeration device, that will work. However if you live in an area of hard freezes, you may need a pond de-icer

*Pond Chemistry

Generally most Pond Fish such as Koi and Goldfish like a higher ph of about 7.8 (although a pH in the range of 6.8 to 8.0 is often acceptable). A well planted stable pond usually does not have problems with too high or too low a pH.

If your pH is too low, Sea Chem Marine Buffer can help (Wonder shells somewhat too). For large volumes of water, aragonite may be more cost effective.

For too high a pH, these are cost effective ways in a pond:

-Barley Straw (great for algae control too, although so-so for ph)

-Almond shells (this is really good for lowering ph, more effective than peat and with the side effect of being antibacterial)

-A veggie filter (this helps with a stable pH and produces nitric acid)

*Pond Bottom

Construction and make up of your pond can be done in three different ways (and there is no one best way; the best way fits your pond size needs, climate and budget).

A preformed pond is probably the most simple. With this method you basically dig a hole to the shape of the pond, remove sharp rocks, add sand for a cushion maybe cut a few holes on the size for bulk heads to add filtration and you’re ready to add rocks, filtration and décor. This style is good for small applications (usually under 250 gallons) and where roots or gophers may be a problem.

A pond liner made of PVC material or EPDM. I prefer the EPDM in a 45 mil. thickness.

With liners you can generally go up to a 1000 gallon pond. Preparation is similar to a preformed pond, however more care needs to taken with sharp rocks and a pre liner or sand should be used. Also in areas of high tree roots or gopher activity these can be compromised.

The other method is a concrete pond using rebar for support as well. This is probably the most expensive method however this is the method I recommend over 1000 gallons. I have subcontracted (installing the filtration) for many concrete ponds and it is important to use a good contractor or prepare and build this properly yourself as even a concrete pond that is poorly built can have problems. Make sure to not build a concrete pond on “fill” as the pond will often settle and crack. Also proper use of rebar is a must especially in ponds over 3000 gallons.

Bottom substrate:

I personally usually do not had a substrate per say, rather I allow the roots of potted plants (that will grow out of there pots) to collect there own debris. I do often add some zeolite or laterite both for absorption of some nutrients but also as an inexpensive plant root material.

*Spring Fed Pond

If you live in an area of natural springs or have creek flowing nearby, this can make for a very healthy, clear and natural pond. If it is possible to divert water into your pond (or just fill from below with a spring), this is always an excellent idea! This way you will likely maintain lower nitrates and phosphates, less algae, better Redox, and better electrolyte levels resulting in a more clear pond and healthier fish. Make sure to have an overflow or skimmer to remove excess water. If you have a well you can achieve similar results (or even use your well during the dry season when the spring or creek diversion dries up).

I also have achieved a similar effect with just plain tap water used in a very slow flow (a 10% water exchange per day or less will not show any ill effects from chlorine). Make sure this is not a problem with local water companies first, although the ponds I used tap water overflow on used less than 200 gallons per day (for a 2000 gallon pond) which is less than watering one’s lawn for an hour.

If with this method, filtration and circulation are still needed in my experience, although this often allows for a more simple filter (such a the Hydro-Pond Sponge Filter). A Veggie Filter is very usefull in this set-up too!

*Pond Predators

Herons have been the most common predator to my customer’s ponds that I have had to deal with. I do not like to add anything that detracts from the beauty of the ponds I maintained, so decoys were my first choice. I found Heron decoys worked well at not only scaring away Herons, but other predatory birds as well such as Cormorants. I also occasionally employed motion sensor scarecrows that connected to a water supply and then squirted ANYTHING that moved, this device also worked for dogs that would “play” in the pond (often destroying it and scaring fish), but was not as effective for raccoons.

For my full Pond Care Article, please follow this link:
A CLEAR POND; Pond Information

Along with the plain concrete garden bench there are also these benches:

Personalized Baby Bench

? This would be fantastic to gift for the birth of a baby, whether it be a boy or a girl. This bench can be ordered either blank or you can have the baby’s name printed onto it. It has various toys and baby blocks around the borders.

Personalized Grandparents Bench

? With this bench you can remind your grandparents how much they really mean to you. It is a beautiful bench with vine and ivy leaves all around the edges of it and there is some text written on the middle of the bench. And, in the top corner of the bench you will find a small set of footprints.

Personalized Grandma Bench

? Around the border of the bench there are vine and oak leaves with small acorns that are meant to symbolize the future. There is also some text for Grandma on the middle of the top of the bench. You will also find a small set of footprints in the upper right hand corner of this bench.

Personalized Grandpa Bench

? The Grandpa bench also has vine and oak leaves with acorns around the border to symbolize the future. There is some text written on the middle of the bench for Grandpa at the top with a small set of footprints in the upper right hand corner.

Personalized Mother Bench

? Every time she sits on this bench she will know how much she means to you. There is a lovely poem written onto it. The border is covered with a vine of oak leaves and small acorns to symbolize the future, with two interlocking hearts in the upper right hand corner.

Personalized Mom and Dad Bench

? This bench comes with text in the center. There is a small childlike drawing of a house in the upper right hand corner. There are oak leaves and small acorns to symbolize the future around the border.

Personalized Dad Bench

? This gift will last your dad a lifetime. There is text written on the middle of the bench. And, in the top right hand corner there is a small hand being held by the father’s hand. The border is covered with a vine of oak leaves and small acorns to symbolize the future.

Spiritual Personalized Bench

? This bench is meant to give you daily inspiration with the spiritual verse that has been scripted onto it. A very elegant bench, laced with a vine of ivy leaves on the border and a bird and flower motif on the legs.

These benches are a fantastic gift for anyone and will last a lifetime. Every time the bench gets sat on, it will remind that person of you.

In fact, birds cannot resist the trickling water that can be found in these types of bird baths. And there is nothing more fascinating on a hot summer day and watching birds frolic under the water of your phone while they enjoy a refreshing bath.

There are a few things you want to look out for when buying a fountain bird bath. First of all, you might want to opt for a solar powered one so that you don’t have to worry about where to plug in. However if you do get one that needs electricity you want to be sure that you have a source close by.

Another thing to consider is the depth of the birdbath bowl. Don’t get one that’s too deep because birds prefer shallow bowl and will actually avoid one that is deeper than 3 inches. That being said, if you do find one that you fall in love with and it is deeper than that , you can always fill it up with little stones or pebbles to make it shallower.

The other thing, is that you want the surface of the birdbath to be little bit gritty so the birds can grip it and get a good purchase on the edges.

Finally, you want to choose one that enhances your garden. If you have a big traditional garden, you might want to pick a tiered fountain bath but if your garden is small, you can by smaller bird baths that attract birds just as well but don’t overwhelm your garden. Choosing a fountain that goes with the landscaping will help to make it look like it belongs right in your yard.

Of course, the location that you install the birdbath is critical because you wanted to be a place where birds feel safe and comfortable so that they can let their guard down and really have fun in the bath! Make sure it is in a somewhat sheltered spot where other animals can’t sneak up on them.

Once you have your bird bath installed and working properly, you want to be sure that you keep it clean. Cleaning out at least once a week is imperative that you might want to clean it every day during summer. You wouldn’t want to be that dirty water and neither do your birds. Keeping it free of mold and algae will help ensure that it is a safe environment for your feathered backyard friends.

If you situate your fountain bird bath in the right place and keep the water clean, you will find that it soon attracts a huge variety of wild birds. You may see birds that you have never seen in your yard before as most species love a good bath. Not only will your birds appreciate the bird bath, but you and your family will enjoy their antics all year long.