About 20 years ago the area between our drive and large pond was a tangle of blackberry vines, horsetail and a myriad of other weeds. I transformed it into a garden with a small, hand dug pond/waterfall between the spring and large pond. I still do constant battle with the blackberries and weeds and the pond silts in over time.
Fifteen years ago, my first attempt to reclaim my little pond ended up with me in hip waders stuck crotch deep, in grey clay, suck mud - shovel and bucket in hand - until Dave came home from work to pull me out. We then got my first tractor with it's tiny 2 gallon backhoe. My next attempt at cleaning out the pond ended up with both the tractor and the trailer I was dumping muck into stuck down in the pond. Again when Dave came home from work we pulled them out.
Rains are due tomorrow so we decided that today would be our last, best day to attempt another dredging. Besides this time I wouldn't have to wait for Dave to get home to unstick me.
As I took this picture, Dave's tractor bagan rolling toward the pond. A mad dash saved the day - for now.
Back at work with the large tractor moved and better anchored. The backhoe bucket contains the stone side wall I had carefully built oh those many years ago. Oh well - Whats a stone pond wall without a pond? 
The work ended abruptly after this scoop. My, allergic to bees, husband unearthed a yellow jacket nest. Mega dose of Benadryl, ice, Chinook kisses and rest for him. Clean up the last of the muck and tractors for me. My little pond should be good for a few more years. 
