Naughty But Nice: "Alive with Pride Special"

Naughty But Nice

 

 

We would like to invite all Club 717 and Pride Durham Members to stop in and say hi, check out the new location and of course..... take advantage of the store wide 20% discount. With proper Club 717 ID or paid Pride Durham receipt.

 

We can't wait to see everyone on June 12th for

Pride Durham's

"Alive with Pride 2010"

 

 

 

 CLUB 717 and Pride Durham Members receive a 20% discount with proper ID.

 

GET YOUR CLUB AND PRIDE MEMBERSHIPS TODAY

TO SAVE 20 % at:

Naughty But Nice

If you own or operate a business you owe it to yourself to contact Antoine's team today.

 

 

 

Bianca - Member at large

 

Trish - Member at larger

Kristin Parker

JUNE  IN  THE  GARDEN
 
I've  been talking to a few people about ponds recently, so I thought I would share my personal pond story with one and all, and then you can take what you will from my experience.
 
Before we built our present pond that is 10.5 feet by 10.5 feet, we had a pond that was a kid's swimming pool, about 6 feet in diameter and 20 inches deep.  I was painting black tar on the driveway to seal it, and painted the kid's pool black also.  Sky blue with funny little ducks painted on, did not quite appeal to me.  I had already dug out the hole to place that round pond, had it levelled. and when I finished the driveway. I went around back and painted the pool right where it was.  It dried overnight and I filled it with water the next day.  By the book they say to let it sit for a couple of weeks, so that the water can age and dissipate any chlorine or chemicals.  I bought a small pump that came with a fountain attachment, 2 water lilies (miniature ones) as the pool was tiny, some elodea and parrot feather, which would oxygenate the water, 3 trapdor snails, 3 water hyacinths and 3 water lettuce.  When I got home I set all this up in the pond and the next day went to purchase 5 goldfish, which I added when I got home after a half hour of climatizing them to the water temperature by floating the bag of fish in the water for that half hour before release.  I had read all the basic information but I was eager to get this pond going.  I was doing things pretty much according to the book.  I do not like to get to technical and I definitely do not like to use a lot of chemicals.  Well, in the first two weeks of having the pond, the water turned a lime green which was the result of algae growing.  So after more research and talking to the pond people at the garden centre, I bought a small bale of barley hay which came in a mesh bag and added this to my pond.  They also told me in time when everything in the pond started to grow and work together that the water would clear, but the barley hay would hasten the  process. Basically at least half of the pond surface needs to be shaded by water lily leaves or other water plants.  And this reduces the algae growth to a more reasonable rate which one can live with. Then as I found out you can have too many water plants.  Once the water lettuce and water hyacinths started to get growing, I was starting to compost them as there was no more water surface, and I couldn't see the fish.
 
That winter, I brought the fish inside in an aquarium, composted the water lettuce and water hyacinth and left the water lilies and elodea in the pond where thery wintered.  The next spring I noticed that the water lilies had doubled, so I took them out of the pond, divided them and repotted into four pots using regular garden soil.  On the recommendation of a friend, fertilized my lilies with fertilizer stakes that are used for trees.  You have to hammer these fertilizer stakes into the ground.  I broke them in half and placed one piece in each pot about half way down.
 
And then we sold that house and moved to Oshawa, where we now have a
10.5 by 10.5 foot pond.  We moved in the fall, so the fish wintered in the aqaurium.  The water lilies were buried in the garden, and some of the elodea was also wintered in the aquarium, plus some snails.Our new home in Oshawa, had wall to wall carpeting which we ripped out and decided to use for a underlay for the pond we would dig.  So we dug this huge 10.5 by 10.5 hole 2 feet deep, and then in the middle a four square foot hole four feet deep.  So the pond has a four foot square depth in the very middle surrounded by a  three foot shelf that is 2 feet deep.  It is on this two foot shelf where all the water lilies sit and grow.  We have tried several kinds of water plants over the years and now have settled for water liles because of the flowers and elodea because it oxygenates the water and provided food for the fish that we do not feed.  Those four water liles that I brought to Oshawa became eight water lilies that year, plus I purchased a few more to get that shade on top of the water.  For the first two years in the Shwa, Larry called our pond the swamp because it was very green for at least two to three weeks each June.  I did the barley hay again for a couple of years to get rid of the algae.  We have a waterfall, made from three eavetrough splash pads that gently take the water away from the house.  And we have a rock with a hole in it that water gushes out of.  This aerates the water, provides sound of running water and it looks nice.
 
So all the old carpet and underlay is under the rubber pond  liner, to protect from sharp rocks and sharp roots that may be protruding and may puncture the lining. We have not cleaned the pond in over 11 years.  But we  skim the pond weekly to get rid of floating debris.  We have over 20 water lilies, tons of elodea and many snails.  For the first few years I used a pond heater to prevent freezing in the winter.  They always gave up after a couple of years and I had to replace the fish.  Now I just let the pond winter naturally, buy new feeder goldfish each spring and that is that. Algae grows on the waterfall and on the rock with the bubbling water which we scrub weekly to remove the algae.  We do not feed our fish, as we want them to eat mosquito larvae and other insects and we want them to eat the algae and other plants.
 
There is a balance in the pond with plants, fish, snails and water quality.  If I turned the water pump off and had no running in the pond, it would be fine because of this ecological balance.  But if some problem developed I would turn the pump back on.
 
We also do not feed our fish, because when they respond to you going to the pond and feeding them, they also respond to racoons and other critters who visit at night, thinking that they will be fed.  So it's something to consider.
 
We get a lot of pleasure from the pond.  It attracts  many birds who come to drink and or bathe. We've even had a blue heron, who I think ate some fish, but it was a sight to see. Even dragon flies, butterflies, moths and other insects stop by for a drink  We are always looking to see how much the fish have grown and even if they've had babies, which they usually do.
 
So no matter what happens with your pond you will learn to deal with it and learn as you go. Now that we are having record breaking weather temps, you  must keep those new plantings and even the old ones well watered, if you want them to survive.
 
From In the Garden by the Pond,

Charlie

Plant Expert & Newsletter Columnist

 

 

June 4th - Friday Night Drag Show - Featuring Lauren LoveLace, Benn Dover & Special Guest Francesca

 

June 5 - AIDS Committee of Durham Region Dance & Fundraiser Event - $7 cover charge for non members. Members free with proper Club ID. However, a donation is suggested and appreciated. Discounted admission with donation of a food item or canned good. SPECIAL SHOW PROVIDED BY: CHARDONNAY, GLENDA and BENN DOVER. Performers tips and time are being donated to ACDR. Show your support !!!

 

June 10th - OSCAR MOVIE NIGHT - NEW SPECIAL EVENT - Will be held the second Thursday of each month. Showing one of the Best Picture Nominated movies. Bar opens at 8:30pm movie starts at 9pm sharp !! The movie this month will be "The Hurt Locker"

 

 

Courtesy of our Sponsor "MOVIE EXPERTS" Bowmanville

 

June 11th - Toronto Pride Kick-Off Show - With Queen Candice & Benn Dover. Special show to raise funds for the Club 717 Pride Toronto Float. Help us as we try to win "Best Float" and represent Durham Region in the Toronto Pride festivities

 

June 12th - PRIDE DURHAM "ALIVE WITH PRIDE"

 

DAY EVENT: - Held at Hayden Shore Pavilion in Whitby. From noon till 5pm. Featuring Deb Pearce formerly of Proud FM will be the MC. Live DJ, Guest speakers, BBQ, Refreshments, Kids & adult activities. Fun for the whole family. Plus tons of prizes !!  

 

 

Night Event - Held at Club 717. Doors open early at 8pm and closes at 3am. Special Pride show by Queen Candice & King Benn Dover. Guest Toronto Performer: Ms. Michelle DuBerry. Arrive early this is always a capacity event with a line up !! Tons of prizes and food buffet provided by Club 717 @ CDCD.

 

 

 

June 18th - Any Once Upon A Time - An Encore performance and stage show. If you missed this event before......Don't make the same mistake again. This is NOT your average Friday night show !!

  

June 19th - Ladies NIGHT - Private Party for the ladies. Ladies Nights at Club 717 is a great opportunity to kick it up a notch as only our ladies now how. Live DJ playing all your favorites. $5 Cover Charge. 

 

June 20th

- Club 717 Monthly Pot-Luck Dinner -  The third Sunday of each month Club 717  hosts a pot-luck dinner. This month will be a BBQ.