Dog hair in the bottom of a pond will never, ever rot. It will stay there until it is removed. The best thing you can possibly do with your design in to incorporate bottom drains. I am not talking about pool bottom drains, I am talking about pond type bottom drains. These are 4" drains with 4" pipes that carry waste from the bottom of the pond to the filters. Having bottom drains means you will never have to vacuum the pond. I know someone who did a pool to pond conversion. They laid the 4" drain and plumbing in the bottom of the pool and had another concrete floor poured to hide all the plumbing. If this is too impractical to do, you could use black ABS pipes and a retro-fit bottom drain and let the pipes sit on the pond floor. I would never consider a pond project as large as this one without incorporating bottom drains. You will also need a skimmer to handle floating hair and leaves.

I gave up salon hair coloring to pay for my laser hair removal! I'm having my upper lip and chin done...oh what the change in hormones can do! It sure does hurt a lot but only for the nano second that the laser is applied to each area. If you think of something like a staple gun or nail gun that is similiar conceptually---each "dose" of the laser takes about the same time as one staple thru a staple gun. Although I've never counted, I think they hit my upper lip with the laser about 20-30 times per treatment. Nurses do it where I go and they are very fast with the laser--which is a very good thing. Usually, I need a few seconds of a "break" twice during the session. They wisely don't allow more than a two or three second "break". There is no sense prolonging the treatment. Have you ever had a small section of your skin pinched to the point you get shivers? That's how it feels to me. After the treatment, I can "remember" the feeling and will shiver. The freshly lasered area of my skin looks and feels sunburned after a treatment but that is all gone by morning. I agree it's wise to shave well right before going for the treatment. I get mine done after work also. Despite the cost and the seconds of pain (I don't have the numbing gel), it has been well worth it to me and my morale. I don't need to shave for a week or so afterward until the next crop grows in. I've had 3 treatments and the majority of my upper lip and chin are hair-free. I no longer look like I have 5 o'clock shadow on my lip (by 5 o'clock!). I can't describe how good it feels not to be checking for stubble all day long and feeling self-conscious. Going through menopause is hard enough without visible signs that suggest you are becoming "manly"! I know people who have had their legs, underarms, bikini, lips and chin done and are glad they did. I also know one poor young guy who is having his whole super furry back and neck done-it takes a lot of his courage and determination to face even one treatment and I don't know how many his requires. The nurses told me a lot of guys have areas of their beard done because of chronic problems with infected ingrown hairs. I have not noticed any skin darkening due to the treatment. I have had the skin all around my mouth darken along with the hormone changes (think "clown")although I don't think anybody has noticed but me. Another good way to give yourself darkened patches is going in the sun while taking an antibiotic. I noticed that sun will darken the area. I went to Sephora and they have a product that will lighten the darkened areas in about three months. If darkening is a problem, it's important to always apply sunblock to those areas. Another thing I learned is that the laser won't work on gray hair. Wish I knew that before a few of my "whiskers" turned gray! I have to tweeze only those but it's no big deal. Hope this helps someone out there!

The shedding blade does work wonders, though it gets so much hair off my dogs I really have to use it outside. Professional grooming is also a wonderful idea. Can you manage your dogs in the car? In this town have a "mobile groomer" that comes to your house with a van that's equipped for baths and such right on the spot. Another idea - is there a pet sitter or dog walker service in your town? I've found these people to be pretty flexible when it comes to what they'll do for pet owners. You might be able to make arrangements for someone to come in once a week or so just to brush and use the shedding blade on the dogs and then sweep up the hair too.

Vacuums are the subject of countless discussions on the various Golden owners' mail lists. A number of people have been dissatisfied with their Dyson's, some people love them, and I caught someone talking about getting a Miele. If you can get subscribed to a golden list, you might enjoy it. Here are some recent comments, all from Golden breeders or exhibitors with multiple dogs: "I have all hardwood and tile and got a Miele canister. LOVE IT. Uses bags, but I bought a whole bunch on a buy 2 get 1 free deal. And I reuse the bags, at least once. When full, my husband empties it with his shop vac since it is mostly hair. When they are dusty looking I toss it out and use a fresh one." "I bought the shark rotator recently and have a lot of dog hair and carpets wood and concrete floors. First the power brush stopped working after a couple uses. Now I have a big clog up by the handle that I thought I pulled out but after another 5 minutes use got clogged up again.It was also much more difficult to take apart to repair. Also the cupholder is so tiny it requires me to stop frequently to empty. My Dyson dc14 is still going strong but it is a pain to untangle the beater brush. (because of my arthritis I bought a second vacuum to keep on a different floor) I think the choice of vacuum is dependent on each persons situation, number of dogs type of floor, daily or weekly cleaning but I appreciate the discussion" "Have both a Dyson Slim (10+years old) and a Miele canister vac (20 years old)-- and love them both! Use the Dyson on carpeting and the Miele for floors and everything else." "Traded in the dead Dyson for the Miele Olympus a couple of years ago. Why I love the Miele: lightweight, relatively quiet, easy to adjust suction for the area rugs with fringe, low profile fits under the couch, loveseat, most of the wood furniture, bags designed with flap so stuff doesn't spew out when you change it. Easy to change out attachments" Here is a link that might be useful: how to subscribe to G@H list