Last summer I put a pond in the backyard and have loved it.  Unfortunately, I had no money so I used old (free) lining and it sprung a leak and was no longer functional.  This last weekend I spent two days moving rocks, shoveling out gravel, and made other improvements and put in brand new lining.  No leaks and the pumps are running great!  This is the upper portion containing 11 gold fish that overwintered and are getting quite large, cat tails and water lilies. 

This is the whole thing.  The middle section I used to frame in the flower bed, and I want to put moss on the bricks for a softer look.  I put water hyacinth in the bottom part today, which multiply rapidly, have attractive purple flowers, and will hide the pump!  

I love the sound of the flowing water and it makes sitting in the back yard that much more relaxing and gives a feeling of an oasis escape.  I love it!  It was alot of fun to build/create and it was easier and more rewarding than I even thought it would be.

This is my little garden, just some peas, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, and sunflowers along the back fence.  I saw the first pea flower today and I can't wait for fresh peas!!  I had to take off one of the milk jugs covering a cantaloupe because the plant was outgrowing it.  

The milk jug trick was something that I learned from my parents garden.  I wanted to experiment though so planted three hills of cantaloupe and placed a milk jug over two of them and left the third uncovered.  Below is the hill I had to uncover today because it was outgrowing the milk jug.
This is the hill that was left uncovered.  Once it was obvious the milk jug made a significant difference, I placed a 2 liter pop bottle over the top just three days ago, hence the funky picture looking through the bottle neck at the small cantaloupe sprouts.  Guess I never should have questioned my parent's wisdom haha!

I love the U

This is a picture I took today with my phone... would have looked better if I could zoom!  This is the Marriot Library on the University of Utah campus.  I had to run up there to print off my last paper on "human environmental impacts and human health" for my last class of my undergraduate.  It feels so good to be officially done and graduated!  Today though I took some extra time to walk around campus as I felt a tinge of sadness about leaving.  I have really enjoyed the U and felt at home here.  My professors have been amazing and I feel I have learned more during my time at the U than I have anywhere else.  I feel a little bit cheated that I was not able to do my entire undergraduate here and almost wish I had another year.  I'm really going to miss the U, Salt Lake City, and the people I have grown to love and respect.  It really felt like I had found my niche and it will be hard to leave.  I have not had my fill of hikes up immigration canyon,  tennis at East High, wrestling alligators, eating at Maza, concerts at Saltair, and playing in the yard.  As much as I would love to stay here, the U medical school did not accept me and I must leave to continue my education.  I am excited for Phoenix and hope to feel as much at home there as I have in Salt Lake.  

Just some spring time photos I have taken.  This is a flowering almond tree on the walk to TRAX.

Still, months later, these pansies just amaze me!  They are thick and beautiful and just covered in blossoms.  They make me happy everytime I see them and it makes me feel good that my fall planting of them was very successful!

The apple tree in the back yard was just covered in blossoms this year.  As if it didn't produce enough apples last year!

This has to be my most favorite spring flowering tree, the eastern red bud.  Just beautiful!

This is an old eastern red bud on campus.  I was fascinated by all the blossoms coming right out of the trunk and had to take a picture!