Installing and Enjoying a Backyard Fishpond

Frogs, butterflies, fishes, and your whole family will definitely enjoy a backyard fishpond, so why not have one. Although you can hire professional hands to setup one in your backyard, but it is still best and more rewarding to set it up yourself. This can be a very good family project that may strengthen your bond with each other.

The size of the pond may vary as your space allows and your money affords. If you have very little space, you may consider using container or a barrel. You will definitely spend for this project and you must carefully consider the price of the materials you will use. Because prices vary from one place to another, I cannot give an estimate of the total project cost. However, I will list all the materials you will need.

I assure you, the benefits will greatly surpass the cost. The pond can be the center of your backyard activities. So, I recommend that you make your pond beautiful as much as you can with these practical tips.

First, you must place your backyard pond where you can view it from many places in your house. To help you relax better, blend it with the natural surroundings. Place it where there is enough shade from direct sunlight, but do not put it under a tree, because you need constant cleaning due to falling leaves.

Second, slightly elevate the surrounding of your pond. These will prevent excess water to get into your pond. It is best to landscape the surroundings to give it a more natural effect. Provide an electric outlet for some electrical devices you may need such as lights, filters, and water re-circulating devices.

Third, use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) liner to secure the edges of your pond. Use thick liner for larger ponds because the chance of collapsing is greater. You may consider the more expensive but more durable cement to hold the edges. However, if your pond is small, it is not necessary to do it; you may use plastic liner instead.

Fourth, plan your project during summer, when the soil is not too wet or frozen. Once the pond is setup, you may put water up to three fourths of its depth. Let the water sit for a two to three days before adding plants and leave them for a while to become stable. Meanwhile you may scout for some high quality fishes from the pet shops. After a week, you may now place your fish. Remember to transfer your fishes slowly. It is better to get water from the pond and slowly mix it with the water from the pet shop. Let the fishes adjust for an hour before transferring them into your pond.


Fifth, get a table and some chair, invite your family members and friends, and relax while having meaningful conversations while glancing occasionally toward your pond’s direction.

Issues with Portrait Photography Resolved

One of the electronic gadgets that is evolving rapidly is the camera. It was only a few years ago when people are still using films to take pictures, and films needed to be developed before printing. This process required time. Now, photos can be printed in an instant. With these recent technological developments, portrait photography is now a breeze.

Before it was Polaroid, but now with the onset of digital cameras and cell phones with camera, pictures can be printed without the hassle of developing the film and printing the pictures. All you will need is a printer. You do not even need a computer because some printers are capable of reading memory cards in a digital camera or cell phone.

The remaining challenge is how to shoot and take good pictures. This creative hobby of capturing moments to immortalize the events will need practice and some good tips. Consider the following tips so you can capture the best picture you can get.

Issues with the flash. Digital cameras and high end cell phones have built-in flash bulbs so you can take shots even in the dark. The problem here is you may create red eyes on your pictures because you must be very close to the subject to get a better picture. You can do several things to avoid red eyes on your photos taken in the dark. You may find a place with ample light to reflect your flash. Also, you must make sure that there are no mirrors around that can reflect and intensify the flash. You may also cover your flash with sheen material to decrease the intensity of the light coming from the flash.

Issues with the subject. Most portraits are too serious or awkward. This is because the subject knows that his picture is being taken. Tell your subject to focus on the place not on the camera. Ask him to internalize and look as if he is looking at a particular or imaginary object behind you. You can also ask him to express an emotion through the eyes without directly looking at you. This will give a dramatic effect to your shot.

Issues with the features of your camera. Most cameras, digital or cell phone, have adjustments for brightness and contrast. You must remember that increasing brightness will result in smoother pictures, but too much brightness will blur the portrait. On the other hand, increasing the darkness will highlight lighter features of the face. Too much darkness is not good for obvious reason. You can try experimenting with the features of your camera. By the way, do not forget to read the manual to fully understand how these features will affect your shots.

Resolving these issues will greatly enhance your portrait photography skills. Mastering them will produce a professional photographer in you. Good luck and happy shooting.


LESSON IN LIFE:
"In life, we will always have issues; remember to resolve each issue in the light."

Before Setting-up Your Home Aquarium

Keeping a home aquarium is one of the most relaxing hobbies you can start right away. However, without proper planning, this hobby can become a burden and stressor instead of source of calmness and relief from stress. It is important that you consider the following concerns before you set your home aquarium.

1. What type of fish do you plan to keep?

Each type of fish needs different kind of care, equipments, maintenance, conditions, space requirements, and foods. Thereby, you must decide which fish type you want to buy before making any purchase of aquarium equipments and accessories. The two main types of fish are salt-water and fresh-water fish. Under these two broad categories, you will also find more sub-categories.

2. How much do you know about the fish you will keep?

You must know the basic facts about the fish you want to keep – this is very important. You must know whether your fish loves company or not, whether they want warm or cooler water, whether they can take foods in flakes or pellets, and whether the accessories you want to put in your aquarium will help or deter the growth and health of your fish. Knowing which vitamins do your fishes need will also enhance your understanding of their needs. Moreover, no matter how cute they are when little, you must still consider how big they can grow so you can provide the right aquarium.

3. How much space will your fish and home aquarium require?

Determine the space requirement of your fish and aquarium. Survey your home if you have enough space to set up and maintain them. You must also take into consideration other things that may come with your aquarium, such as cabinets, accessories, and other enhancements. Also, take note of the space required between the fish container and the wall.

4. How much is your budget?

The amount of money you are willing to spend for your home aquarium plays a great part on deciding which kind of fish you will keep and which equipment you will buy. It also determines whether you will want to get some accessories and paraphernalia. One advice though, choose the best container your money can buy. It is cheaper to use a long-lasting container than using a trainer container before buying your permanent container.

Keeping an aquarium has been touted as one of the most therapeutic hobbies in the world. This hobby relieves stress. Moreover, some believes that certain types of fishes bring good luck to the owner. Whatever your purpose may be in setting up your home aquarium, answer first the four questions I presented here.



LESSON IN LIFE:
“Invest time and money on something good.”

 

Pursue Hobbies you are Passionate About

Following a hobby that your heart desires can give you much more than your dreams; it can revitalize your life. Knowing that you want to do and achieve something can give you much needed motivation to live on and do greater things. Though this does not mean your life will be easier or trouble-free, but it can make your life more exciting and more worthwhile.

The challenge is how to find this hobby that heats up your passion so you can relentlessly pursue it. Here are some tips you can do to get that something that can pump your adrenaline to do greater and better things.

First, be true to yourself and everyone. Do not try to be someone else; do not pursue others’ hobbies and dreams. Look for what makes you excited. What pastime do you genuinely enjoy doing? You must also consider what you consider as the most important things in your life. It is also better to be true to your physical and mental limitations. Being yourself is the first step to finding and pursuing the hobby that you will love.

Second, accept helping hands extended toward you. You are a human being; thereby, a social creature. You only have two hands, and you can only do so much. To know your passion, you must think of things you want to do with someone else. Your hobby must revolve around things that you want to share with someone – a loved one. Having someone in mind to offer your achievements to add more motivation to go on and pursue your passion.

Third, involve your senses. Human satisfaction is greatly influenced by the senses. Your taste buds give satisfaction to eating; your auditory nerves enhance your enjoyment of music. When your senses are involved in the hobby that you want to pursue, you will most likely enjoy what you are doing. So, in finding and running after your heart’s desire, use your senses and enjoy.

Fourth, enjoy yourself. Despite the tendency to get overexcited to pursue your chosen pastime, you must always see to it that you are enjoying every step of the way. Remember that you are on your journey to achieve your passion, which in the end will give you fulfillment and joy; so, you had better practice being joyful in every stages of your pursuit.

Fifth, stick to it until you get it. When you have determined your hobby, pursue it and never let it go. As in other endeavors, there will be hindrances that may stop you from going on. At times, you will experience disappointments and failures. It is part of your pursuit, an important ingredient the success of your pursuit.

Like hobbies, the pursuit of your passion can be an exciting lifelong journey to fulfillment. You will reach certain heights only to see another mountain to climb until the passion is satisfied. Enjoy your hobby to your heart’s satisfaction.

LESSON IN LIFE:
"You only have one life to live so live a fruitful life with your hobbies where you can pour out your intense passion."

Don’t Ruin Your Own Garden

The hands that dreams to make your garden beautiful are the same hands that, if not used right, will ruin your garden. The time and effort you devoted to that special spot in your front and back yards will go to waste. Worse is when repeated failures to grow beautiful plants grow weeds of disappointments in your heart. When these negative thoughts grow, you will begin to have doubts, and it is so sad to give up building something that could help your health and being.

We may not be aware but there are common mistakes that beginning gardeners commit leading to frustrations. However, this must not be the case with you. These common mistakes are very easy to detect and avoid. Being aware of these blunders solves half of your problem.

Here are the blunders:

1. Assuming that the plant is the problem. This is especially true with lawns. Some parts of your lawn may not be as green as the rest of your lawn. Every gardener experienced this at least once in their gardening lives. When this happens, try considering having your soil assessed by a professional. Another remedies include changing your watering, fertilizing, and mowing schedules. Last but not the least, consider using different ground covers like periwinkle and thyme.

2. Leaving tools around and litters unattended. You will definitely need tools to grow a beautiful garden, but these tools can also kill your plants. Make sure that your tools are properly stored in your shed after using them. Unattended tools will kill our plants and lawns as clutters do. They may block the sun that could have helped the plants grow healthier.

3. Being too proud of your garden. There is nothing wrong with considering your beautiful gardens to be our pride, joy, and therapy. However, over exposing our garden to too many people may cause disaster to our plants. Some incidents, such as children throwing pebbles to our plants and strong winds buffeting them, can be avoided by constructing a protective wall. Limit showcasing your plants to your friends who will only admire them and never do harm.

4. Thinking that one day of neglect will not affect your garden. Nothing is further from the truth. Weeds and insects may ruin your garden in a day. Because our plants are immobile, they cannot get away from harsh elements that may attack them. If you will need to get away for a few days, ask someone to look after your plants and garden.

Wrong assumptions may be fatal to your plants so you must understand their needs and take care of them.

LESSON IN LIFE:
"Weeds of discouragement and bitterness may kill your dreams, do not ever let them take root in your life, not even for a day."