Backyard Fountain

Our summer began with a project. When Clara and Jeff went on a trip right after school was out, the rest of us pledged to surprise them with a backyard fountain. The idea came from a single page, 8-step inspiration in Sunset Magazine.

We got all the supplies at the store and dug a hole in the hard Colorado clay 1 1/2 feet deep. Then, about 6 trips to the flower store to find the perfect pots, 3 trips to the hardware store, and 2 months later, we had it all assembled. With great excitement, we plugged in the pump and.... nothing happened.

So, it sat there for the rest of the summer. A sad sight really. I tried not to look at it. Then, just yesterday, I tested the plug. (Something I'd meant to do for weeks.) It turns out that all we needed to do was press the little activation button, and now... IT WORKS! We have a sweet little fountain just outside our bedroom window.

The gurgling sound it makes is more like water dripping into a plastic bucket (or in Jeff's words, someone doing a pee...) than a babbling brook, but still. It is a perfect place for little fingers to play. And after three months of the opposite, I now have a boost of confidence. (Can it really be a boost if my confidence had gone South for the 3 months it sat stagnant? Ummm. I've lost track. Yes.)

Next, we'll add pretty flowers around it. Probably in Spring, 2014.

A note of advice to future fountain makers: The hard part is finding a perfect bowl to fit inside your perfect pot. That, and making sure the chicken wire can actually hold the heavy pots. That, and getting plenty of caulk to keep the water from spilling into the big pot. That, and making sure your plug works. Otherwise, I guess it's easy...?