This is what the pond look like before I drain to work on it. It should look about the same this summer after I refill it with water. Then this winter I will drain again and do more diging. And sometime I hope to do a lot of stone work on the pond(stone on floor and wall of the pond). Soild stone floor and walls should help keep water very clear. I have cut down the tree that in the water in this picture. There a leak in the wall so the pond did not fill up any higher than this except when raining. This picture show where it is leaking. You can see the main leak on the left side of picture at water level. I have just puled a footing for a concret block wall in that area on the side of the pond. Tom dress for summer diging (like I do in hot summertime)and let Lynne sit back and watch. Here is a link that might be useful: Me diging in hot summertime(butt showing)

I would suggest you not try to treat this yourself. Visit a doctor. It could be tennis elbow, but in my opinion it doesn't sound like that's what it is. You could have a torn muscle or a torn ligament or any one of a dozen things. Treating it yourself or letting it go, you might end up with permanent damage. See a doctor!!!

Bay leaf is great with fish. And it isn't just for savoury things - try adding a bay leaf to your next baked custard or rice pudding (milky things). Try it in your next white sauce to serve with corned beef or veges. Stir a bay leaf in the milk when heating for custard desserts, or in the liquid when poaching fish, and when cooking pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini or marrow. Toss a few Bay Leaves on your barbecue when cooking your meat. The smoke smells delicious, the flavour subtly permeates the meat, and it will help keep the mosquitoes away as well. Medicinal Uses: Oil from leaves and berries is used as a remedy for bruises and rheumatism. Leaves and branches act as fumigants and insect repellents. Rub a leaf onto a wasp or bee sting to ease pain. An infusion of the leaves is taken for flatulence to help improve the memory and to calm an hysterical patient. It has been found that bay helps the body use insulin more effectively, even at very low dosages. Added to a liniment, it is used to ease the pain of arthritis and muscle soreness. As a wash it is used to cleanse the skin. It is antibacterial and fungicidal and is used to treat skin rashes and bruises. As with all essential oils, it should be diluted in a carrier oil before using. As a hair rinse, it can prevent dandruff. It has been suggested that it may be an antidote for strychnine. Warning: Professional supervision is advised when using this herb medicinally. Avoid medicinal doses of bay when pregnant. May increase blood pressure and pulse and produce vomiting. Berries are abortifacient. Leaves, especially dried, should not be eaten as they may cause internal cuts and tears, potentially dangerous to haemophiliacs and those taking blood-thinning medications. Remove leaves from food before serving. Except for Laurus nobilis, all other laurels are poisonous. The bay-leaf-in-canisters thing really works to protect against creepy-crawlies! I scatter it on pantry shelves, too. It is one of the very few herbs I prefer dried, rather than fresh. They should be the mature leaves, not the young ones. Every herb garden should have a bay tree. It can become an enormous tree, but is amenable to topiarising - the 'ball-on-a-stick' is the most popular way of doing it. If you have a bay tree on either side of your front door, you will never be bothered by witches, lightning, or assorted gremlins, demons and hobgoblins (also you are protected from plague and hallucinations). Give bay leaves to a bride to promote a long and happy union.

Who knew? I was trying to figure out how to duplicate a recipe from a Toronto restaurant that smokes mussels over pine needles. Are they edible? Absolutely! A whole world opened up and we have two pine groves. I found this amazing blog that opened my eyes: The Powerful Properties of Pine Trees (and other Extraordinary Evergreens) March 2, 2012admin 14 Comments 16 The Powerful Properties of Pine Trees (and other Extraordinary Evergreens) – by Heather Gardener If you go down to the woods today you’re in for a big surprise; for every where a pine tree’s there, a needle nibbler gathers her fare…feasting and foraging in the forest! A revolution is taking place in response to our ever burgening economic crisis. This revolution will not be televised, sanitised or franchised… its a downsized Wild Revolution! People are swopping the supermarkets for the forest, and realising that the contents of their teapot or blender need not come from a plastic package of dubious origin and unknown length of storage, but from natures cornicopia. Most of us are by now familar with the possibility, if not the practice, of picking greens from our backyard or park to add to our diet. Did you realise that trees also come bearing gifts of nutritious bounty? Most trees have edible parts such as leaves, bark, blossom and fruit; but even in the depths of winter, it is still possible to gather nutritious nibbles in the forest from the Evergreen family. Edible Evergreens Most Evergreen trees are edible, but for safety and simplicity, stick to the Pine, Fir and Spruce family. It was discovered back in the days of scurvy that these trees are extremely high in Vitamin C, as well as vitamin A, quercetin, flavonoids, anthocyanins and volitile oils that are beneficial for respiratory conditions,coughs, colds and flus as well as being anti inflamatory. Pine Power The pine has been revered and used all over the world. It was used as a traditional remedy by the Native American Indians, and there is a Taoist practice of surviving only on pine needles to gain supernatural powers that has its roots in the pine tree’s symbolism of integrity and honour. The Scandinavians used pine branches in saunas, and many cultures stuffed mattresses with pine needles to repel lice, fleas, and other insects. In fact, pine-needle mattresses are still used today in the Swiss Alps, as a remedy for rheumatism. According to Ben Charles Harris’s book ‘Eat the Weeds’, a cup of pine needle tea may supply five times as much vitamin C as in a lemon. Studies in both China and Russia have also found it to be Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Viral, AntiOxidant & Anti-Aging, Helpful for Weight, Cholesterol & High blood pressure, Relieves Sore, Aching Muscles, Stimulating to the Liver, Astringent for the Bladder, Relaxing to the Mind and Stress Relieving, AND Helpful in Restoring Overall Balance to The Body! (Wow! Now wasn’t that a mouthful!) Identification Pine trees usually have quite long needles, sometimes up to 8 inches. Spruce and fir have much shorter needles, with the fir being more sparse. A tree identification book and some rambles in your area will reveal what varieties you have for your tasty Pine Potion adventures. Caution Start out slowly to avoid any ill effects. These trees contain concentrated chemical compounds! Do NOT consume evergreen tree parts if pregnant or breastfeeding. Pine Needle Tea ½ cup of pine needles (or other needles from fir or spruce trees) Crush the needles slighly & add to a pot of boiling water (3-4 cups). Simmer for 15-20 mins, or simply steep the needles in not yet boiling water. You can add a spoon of honey or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc), as well as herbs such as rosemary or green tea, to this wonderfully aromatic brew. Left over tea can be added to a bath, poured over the stones in a sauna, or used as a rinse for the hair to combat dandruff! According to Wikipedia, Vitamin C may not be desroyed by high temperatures but will instead leach into the water; if this is the case, we will not be loosing the Vitamin C by drinking this infusion. Sergei Boutenko’s Douglas Fir Green Smoothie Recipe 10 Tips of Douglas Fir (gather the fresh young tips in spring) 2 cups of spinach or your favourite green 2 bananas 2 cups of water Simply blend and Enjoy! Swap recipes around with different young green tips of either Spruce or Pine. Use some foraged Wild Edibles instead of Spinach, and add in some berries to boost the Vitamin C content for Winter Wellness. For example, add in freshly foraged rosehips! The fresh green spring tips are also great to add to salads. You can also run a few needles through your juicer to add extra oompf to your juices. Alternatively, take 10-15 fresh pine needles and chew them thoroughly. Swallow the juice, but spit what is left of the needles! Pine Needle Vinegar or Oil 500ml Glass Jar 500ml of either Cyder Vinegar or Organic Cold Pressed Oil Several handfuls of Pine Needles Make sure the jar is very clean and dry. Slightly crush the pine needles with a rolling pin and pack them into the jar. Pour on as much vinegar or oil to fill and cover the jar. Allow to infuse for up to 6 weeks. Strain and use or if you wanted a stronger infusion, or pack in more fresh crushed needles. For a more balsamic tasting vinegar, add a tablespoon of coconut sugar. Both are wonderful aditions to salad dressings. The vinegar is also great to take in a cup of warm lemon and honey to ward of colds and flus, while the oil is great to massage tired aching limbs. Pine is also reputed to relieve skin conditions, such as psoriasis. You can use the oil or make an ointment to rub on irritated skin or fungal infections. Spruce Butter Melt a pound of coconut oil gently over a bain marie, then add ¼ cup of young fresh spruce tips. Allow to infuse for a couple of hours or overnight. Melt the oil again and strain out the needles. Use as a flavoursome butter or to add an interesting twist to your recipes. Good as a tonic for the hair and skin as well! Pine Needle Sugar or Honey Place crushed pine needles into a jar of honey or coconut sugar and leave for several weeks or months. Use in teas, desserts or other creative concoctions. For variety, add peices of lemon or orange peel to flavour. Sergei’s Pine Needle Toothbrush Pine resin is great for removing sugars from the teeth. Simply chew up some pine needles until it makes a ball and scrub your teeth with it! Pine Bouquet Garnish Make a little bunch out of sprigs of pine, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and tie together with a little hemp or organic cotton string. Drop it into the pot if you’re making a stew, soup or grain based cooked dish and allow the flavours to permeate the dish before removing. Pine Cones & Needles Potpourri Bring the outdoors in with the refreshing fragrance of pine. 6 cups dried pine needles (not brown) 2 cups small pine cones 2 cup dried orange peel 1 cup dried rosehips 1 cup dried rose & marigold petals 1 cup broken cinnamon sticks 4 tablespoons of orris root (optional) 15 to 20 drops of oil of pine (more or less as desired) In a bowl, place the oil on the orris root if using. Orris root is traditionally used to fix scent. Otherwise, sprinkle the oil on the pine cones, and gently mix all the ingredients together. To use, place into open containers throughout the house. Add more essential oil as needed. Keep out of reach from children and animals. Preserving your Needles To freeze, just snip the needles into smaller pieces and place in a zip lock bag in the freezer until ready to use. You can also dehydrate them, or dry out over a stove or in an airing cupboard. When dry, you can store in a jar, or more interestingly you can process them to a powder in your blender and use to add an aromatic flavour to various recipes. Wild Pine Pollen Wild pine pollen is reputed to be very high in natural testosterone. It can be gathered in the spring when the buds are blooming! Cover the tip of a branch with a plastic bag and shake the branch vigourously to collect the pollen in the bag.