Jenny, We stop up the line going into the first tub.(we use a nerf football :) Then we let the pump run to take as much water as possible out of all the tubs. Then either using a scoop or shop vac we scoop out all the muck. Cliff usually mucks it out will a jug -- emptying the muck into a 5 gallon bucket, then he walks around watering all the flowers and plants with the fish muck...The flowers and plants love it. Keep in mind we built our pond in 1997, that was the dark ages as far as the internet was concerned. We took books out of the library and then went shopping for a liner (nowhere was a bottom drain ever mentioned) Fortunately for us we shopped in a large pet store that sold pond supplies and liners. The owner had a large pond in his backyard and explained to us the necessity of the bottom drain and the dome top on the bottom drain. The pond floor is all slightly tilted toward the bottom drain to enable all the muck that settles on the bottom to naturally gravitate towards the drain. The water swirles around the drain with the dome top and flows through the drain into the tubs. The first and second tubs have the filter material. We cut sides of milk crates and wrap them in various materials like cotton batting and force them standing straigt up into the tubs. Most of the waste is trapped into the first tub. The last tubs hold our pumps, we have about 5 or 6 pumps ranging from 1200 gph to 500 gph. We usually have 2 going all the time one for the main pond and one for the biological pond, which we added the next year... (more about that another time) We like to have several small waterfalls all over the place, that's why we have several pumps. Another reason for the different sizes of pumps is we have more control over the flow. When the filters are in need of a cleaning the flow of water slows down and we have to slow down the pumps. If you want koi, forget about goldfish. The goldfish multiply like crazy and soon you'll be trying to catch them to give them away. We only have two goldfish (our original goldfish that are 12 years old) We also have 3 orfs they are the population control in our pond... One more recommendation, think about using a 4" drain. We have a 3" but if we were doing a pond today we would use a 4" drain. The shelf, be sure to build a shelf all around, ours is deep and wide -- we then built up to ground level with rocks. The only place we don't have a shelf is in the beach area. We also replaced all our small beach pebbles the next year with bigger round stones. It's easier to keep it clean, we hose it out about every two week, and when the rocks start to get an alge build up, we just turn them over to show a nice clean and shiny side. Our beach is about 5 foot x 4 foot, maybe a little bigger... Joann More beach... Here is a link that might be useful: Our website

It should make no difference from which side the door opens. If someone can climb a stair they can get to the other side of the door. But I would be very careful about mats and throw rugs in the entry path. Not lifting feet enough is the cause of most falls by the elderly and it is not something they are aware of. I have an aluminum ramp to my front door landing and a small aluminum ramp that can be placed at the door threshold. Be aware that the elderly are always slowly losing mobility although it is usually not noticeable to anyone who sees them often. While you are worrying about steps and handrails you should also be thinking about where the future ramp will go. A ramp could be placed at the left side of the steps if the column were not there. I predict you will remove the post some day for that reason. Now is the time to ask the builder how he framed the overhang. I will bet he framed it to not need a column in order to speed construction as evidenced by the construction photo. Don't ask the architect; its highly unlikely he knows what the builder did. Also be aware that the ramp slope does not need to meet an accessabilty code standard; for a private residence it is reasonable to assume that someone in a wheelchair would have assistance or use a motorized chair. That has been my experience in the 13 yeas I have had a ramp.

Jane The lists for Costa Rica 1400/1700 species of orchids alone !! In my minds eye I'm thinking there must be dozens on every tree maybe thousands lol There just might be but actually seeing them was a real challenge. Of course you can go to the reserves and they happily show you many orchids but then you find out they were all planted . I even hired a guide and went to the huge park in the Talmanca mountains that straddles the border into Panama. Magnificent in every sense of the word except for orchids . At the camp I asked about orchids and they showed me some Dends and Vandas attached to a palm !!! When I finally got across that I wanted to see wild orchids growing naturally They closed the border because of the US invasion of Panama !! In revenge I stole some seeds of a Geonoma palm which I ID as the very rare "Stained glass" variety. Brought them home germinated them and guess what all are of the very ordinary green variety!!! I did get to see many Morpho butterflies even some I think were M. rhetenor !! A family of Tapirs that scared the hell out of me . Most memorable the gazillions of Hummingbirds in a endless array of colors and forms and what I believe was a Resplenant Quetzal in full color for 3 seconds lol Incredible tree fern forests and what I believe were Gunnera of some kind .They called them "Poor mans umbrella" Orchids in the buff ,a total bust!!! lol gary

The judge asked us if we were ready for mediation today and I told her I wasn't sure, because I've been mistakenly named in the affidavit when the plaintiff actually hired Joseph Corlett, LLC. She said I had to have a lawyer file a motion to get that changed and I'll do so. We had mediation anyway and Jerry, bless his aged heart, is just as crazy as ever. I offered to eat the $900.00 he owes me if he promises to not say not-nice things about me on the interwebby. He offered to not pay me, and have me pay him $500.00 instead of the $1,100.00 he's suing me for. The mediator went back to the judge and told her we were at an impasse. She scheduled the trial for April 10. Jerry's about to taste a countersuit; he cost me the first day of the Builder's show today for which I have a press pass and he continues to burn up time that I sell. He reminds me a lot of my father-in-law. These two octogenarians think everyone is out to rip them off. Hopefully without sounding too condescending, I'm about to call Adult Protective Services. This case is that nutty. Maybe the local media would be interested in the man-bites-dog angle of this story since I'm the one getting ripped off by the old person instead of the cliched contractor ripping off the elderly.