lsst - I am stymied. Consider the pond as an oval. The skimmer is on one end. The shelf starts near the skimmer (after that slumping), runs all the way along one long side and around the end opposite the skimmer. When I started the pond back when, I knew I had a very, very wet patch of ground (water within 1" of the surface), but it was what I had. When I built, at the cost of more depth, I installed three 4" perforated drain pipes under the pond, connecting to our storm sewer system. I just think there is more water than can be handled, vast amounts of ground water and maybe some artesian effect as well. We have an old artesian well in the lower level of our garage, uphill, so there is a clue. I'm thinking that whatever the source, there is constant ground water keeping the very messy clay wet and it is now slumping. Or it could be bad ju ju from the plants and fish I swore never to have lol I guess another drain along the pond is next. Looking at a trench 20' long up to 30" deep. Property not accessible by any machinery. I could throw a raucous party for hardy ponders, kayaking and body surfing in the streams. The epdm is stretchy but now I am concerned that the stone pond sides may collapse as the shelf is undermined. In retrospect, I should have put in retaining walls, but I thought the drainage scheme was sufficient. Mostly I can sit back and just hope that I won't hear the splashing collapse in my life time. Ideas welcome. Thanks Mike

Crocs and I just don't get along, they slip and chafe - I bought a pair back before the fad began and they ended up at Goodwill. They're VERY popular for going back and forth from the locker room to the pool and as shower shoes (you could not pay me to go barefoot in there). I went to a scuba shop but while dive shoes are great for swimming and pushing away from rocks they didn't have enough padding for the pounding I put them through. Thanks for the reccomendations for Merrell, Keens, and Teva. I didn't know that Keens other than the Hood River were more amphibious than "they won't fall apart if they get wet", and it's good to see that Teva is branching out past those awful webbing sandals (which is all the local shoe stores carry). I've never seen any of those at local stores so I think my credit card is going to get a real bruising at Zappos. :-) dilly, I'm not in a formal class - I'm in an independent program continuing my aquatic physical therapy since my insurance company won't pay for it anymore. I'm waiting for a slot in the arthritis class even though I'd be about 25 years younger than the rest of the participants, but it's hard to get time in the warm pool. (The regular health-club pools are too cold for me.) You betcha I stretch before and after, as well as before bed and when I get up. Normally the PF behaves itself pretty well, I've just been abusing my feet with the pounding on concrete in lousy shoes. I haven't taped in over a decade, I'll have to see if I can schedule a session with one of the sports PTs to refresh my memory of how to do it. I've been putting in about 3 miles a week of walking and variations thereof like duck-walking and high kicks (I resist the urge to channel Michigan J. Frog) plus strength training - often at the same time as yet more walking! - and a little bit of deep-water work with a float belt but Doc says the weight-bearing exercise is more important. It's taken me over a year to progress that far, when I started I could manage about 15 minutes total, with at least 2 rest breaks, now I can work hard for an hour. I'd tack another 15 minutes on if I could but my timeslot is only an hour. I can't ice though, cold = severe pain. I had minor surgery a couple of weeks ago and the site swelled rather nastily (no infection though) so I had to ice it for a few days. VERY unpleasant. I like to roll a tennis ball under my foot instead, I've even mastered doing both feet at once. :-)

My mom has bad feet and has participated in the water aerobics at her Y 5 days a week for years. It hurts her to walk barefooted from the dressing room to pool and she does not. The type she seems to like best these days are Speedo. I sometimes find them new on Ebay, or in places like Boaters World stores, sporting goods shops, even Amazon for her. Her former favorite was a soft soled surfers shoe she bought while in Hawaii and I couldn't find them here. If you need to buy mens to accommodate your own feet, try mens 1 1/2 - 2 sizes smaller. If you are in womens 11, a mens 9 or 9 1/2 should work for you but may be a bit wide. Here is a link that might be useful: speedo aquatic shoes

ok I actually went and counted shoes lol. 34 pairs(including everything-flip flops, water shoes, jelly shoes, sneakers, fall boots, snow boots( even though I don't go anywhere near snow anymore) and heels I can't wear anymore but can't part with them still) bags..two normally looking everyday bags, two very worn everyday bags(like, worn to the point even I'm slightly embarrassed..), two more-night-out bags, one travel tote, one travel backpack, one carry on, and one clutch for summer nights on vacations or something. I think I'm on the peak of owning stuff..never ever I had more in terms of things that I have now. Couple pairs-a mistake, frankly. My wishful thinking and all. Many though are very good buys and I have them for years. My record with shoes was 14 years I think. (yeah by the end they looked the part) With jeans-15 years (great pair. by some Arden B? don't remember). A jacket-twenty two years(actually I don't wear it anymore but my DD does. It was Topshop by the way. Very hard to believe they'll make anything like that now..probably will get ruined very fast) I do have a mild problem with throwing away bags or shoes that are too worn out or ripped beyond repair. It's like, my inner goodbye to them takes longer. Removing them out of my sight usually helps some.