Johnkr that is very interesting information about the eagles hunting the herons. I had no idea, thanks! That might explain why I have not seen any around. We do live by a lot of natural water. Well that's one thing in favor of eagles. Carol I just googled scarecrow like you suggested and found the info. Thank you. I can see how that would be very effective. I can also see my Malamute playing in it! LOL It sounds like you have lived in some wonderful places. I would love to live by the sea some day. Sounds great just saying it. hehe Sandy I imagine your very correct about some critters liking the scarecrows. My silly Mal for one. LOL She loves to play "chase the hose" whenever I water. Nancyd I believe you are very correct about the cats safety. These are big birds. This was the closest one had come to the house. In the pictures you will see how a pergola is going to be a challenge to say the least. The pond runs 40ft by 20 with a bend at one end. Carol thanks for asking me to brag... I mean post pics. We only got the pond running last fall so I am still pretty excited about it. I also included a link to an older post on the Cottage garden forum if you are interested in some "extreme" ponding/gardening or as I like to think of it, "when I should have been shot on the spot for even thinking of it." This is one end of the pond. I had to take two shots to get the opposite end. I have just begun working on this new falls area. I still have to trim the foam and disquise the liner and tubing here. I put a planter pocket on top of the rock and planted trailing plants so that should help. This is the little pond, it is 100gal. Thank you all very much, LeSan Here is a link that might be useful: Ground Zero

Now that a few days have passed I have had a chance to get out and see some of the damage. It makes me even more impressed with that nest!! There is a brick house about three miles from here, and in a direct line from where I was hunkered down, and the entire front porch, including part of the garage and roof, is just peeled away--gone. Nearly every fencerow running north to south has the larger trees snapped off in a neat line, all laying to the east/northeast. I learned that we had a series of very intense microbursts, with some packing sustained winds of 70-90 MPH. A few weeks back we had a similar round of storms, and a boy in a town near here was out the next morning and found a cancelled check that had been blown in from a city in Missouri, over 100 miles from here. He and his folks tracked down the people and told them about it, and they had lost everything but their lives in a tornado. Amazing. And I think if my house ever gets wiped out like that, I will rebuild, with large sticks and in a large tree. Makes me wonder...at the worst of the storm, do the parents try their best to stay over the eggs and protect them or do they just have to flee and save themselves??

adellabedella, I can see the similarities in our floor plans! Do you have any photo's of your kitchen? I'd really like to see how it looks open like that. I have seen many floor plans with similar layouts, just not photo's. LOVE your granite, pretty, pretty, pretty! I'm going to play around with the Masterbed/bath area - just our closet space (MUST have a him and her one) is hard to work in. flgargoyle, gee... I was hoping since I was able to make that staircase squeeze in my plan.. it would work! :( but in reality.. my little $39 program is telling me your correct! Does this mean that hall need to be longer than 13'..?! Or should it go wider, staircases confuse me! As for the all windows in the kitchen.. I've been DROOLING over some photo's I have in a book and online. The house is actually going to be in reverse, which makes the kitchen side on the west. Really, the worst possible side for our FL exposure. Still - I have to go back before I finalize things and look at more kitchen inspiration photo's. chisue, GREAT suggestion in regards to fixed french doors.. I had NO IDEA they even existed.. that's why I LOVE this forum! As for the laundry area/closet /stairs.. I don't feel this area is right yet. Just not sure of a better layout, but I'm going to play with it. Maybe I'll get rid of the back staircase, which will only go up to a storage area. Currently, we have a drop down stairs, and although not the greatest, it would open the area up for more uses.. maybe even a toilet!! LOL However, storage/closet space is more on my want/need list. REALLY great feedback, and lots more food for thought.. Thanks everyone!

Don't know if this is a fair comparison, since we live in northern Virginia and we bought when it was Norco rather than Jeld-Wen, but we've had a Norco French door for ten years now and it has been great -- no finish problems, seals all fine, locking systems work, etc. It faces south onto a patio, with just a two-foot soffit/eave overhead.