Clark, we have a fountain away from the house and we use an extension cable, with the plug living in a bush when not in use, housed in one of these
http://www.google.co....num=3&ved=0CCUQrQQwAg
The plug end of an external extension cable (which we have to plug in indoors) is then introduced into the pod cover when we want to swtich it on. We don't use the fountain often because the arrangement is messy so if anyone has any better ideas I would be grateful to read other answers to your Q. We don't have an outside socket and I don't know how easy it is to install one - I would have to "get someone in" to do it.