I had an outside jazz band gig that I had to drive to right after work today about 60 miles away. I had just enough time to get home, get my horns, say goodbye to my wife and get on the road. I wore my gig clothes (black polo shirt and black pants) to work.
My wife came out to me and said "Your pond is empty!". She had been gone all day and our daughter was at work all day.
Sure enough most of the water was gone - about 9" left in the deep end, none in the shallow end where the pumps are. Most of the water hyacinthes were dried out, lilies and other plants looked OK. After a quick investigation, I found that the flextube (drainplug in the end) attached to the stock tank popped off.
I reattached the flextube, had my wife get the hose going, added alot of dechlorinator, sprayed down the plants, put water in the stock tank filter and pond from my two waterlily stock tanks. After about 5 minutes the pump started pumping, waterfall going, fish looked OK (but freaked out I'm sure). All of that dressed in black in full sun and 93 degrees - great . . .
Had my wife set the stove timer for 1 1/2 hours and asked her to check on the pond then. I sure didn't want to overflow the pond. I called her when I got to my gig to remind her not to overflow the pond (she didn't).
Said goodbye to my wife, hit the road, made it to my gig in time.
Rough last few days - this, drunk driver ran into our duplex early Saturday morning, power was off at work Monday--refrigerator defrosted, water all over the floor - gig tonight was outside under a small gazebo held with lightning storms all around us.
Hope my fish (hundreds of dollars of midnight shubunkins included) are OK. I'm glad I hadn't put the five nicest midnight shubunkin babies (4" long) from last year inside
the pond yet - still inside in a 55-gallon aquarium.
If I didn't have bad luck, I would have no luck at all . . .