A Less Shameful Pond

In my last End of Month Review I had to forego my usual 'ending on the pond' photograph.  I am pretty much of the opinion that the End of Month Review is for me, almost a monthly shaming process.  For some reason when I look at the garden through the camera I suddenly see the things that really do need doing.  I have learned to alleviate this to some extent.  I plan when I cut the lawn and I usually remember to weed the veg beds before the end of month routine commences.  This time though the pain of looking at the state of the pond was too much.  I took the photographs, but I could not bring myself to use them.  The pond was chockablock with parrot-weed, which I hasten to say was not planted by me.
There was no water visible, so even though I knew the water level was quite low, I had no idea how low it had got.  I knew it had to be sorted.  So wellies on, rake and rubber gloves in hand I made a start.  I had no idea how hard it would be or how long it would take, but sometimes you just have to get on with it.
After about twenty minutes I could see water, this made me very happy.  The water was stirred up by this point and quite black, but the parrot weed was coming out quite well.
So I kept going, the pile of weed at the side of the pond got larger and larger.  I know that I have to leave it there to let anything crawl out of it and back into the pond.
It was getting to be quite a heap.
and then it was done,
The waterlilies were unwound and the pond raked to remove as much debris as possible.  I am not claiming that it is completely cleared, I know it is not.  I half-worry all I have done is encourage it to grow with more vigour.  It is down to me now to not let it get into this state again.  I shall have to keep it much clearer in future.
So what did I learn through all this?  Other than to keep the pond clear of flipping parrot-weed and to beware of passing pillocks?
1.  I learned that frogs jump into the pond to keep you company when you are clearing it.
2.  The waterlilies were flowering after all, I just could not tell.
3.  That the pond in its deepest part is deeper than the top of my wellies.
4.  That the autocorrect for 'need waders' is beefeaters.
and on that thought I shall end.