As is usual with these "please help me" posts, I start by asking one question, only to have other posters bring up additional issues/suggestions - a good thing! I now have (at least) 2 projects - one for the long (natural) view of trees and field behind the pond. A second for a "people place" at a different corner of the pond. drtygrl - yes, there were a few suggestions to make a platform or destination area. What I liked so much about pls8xx's suggestion is choosing a different corner of the pond. That way the "people place" is closer to the house, hence more likely to draw people the short distance to the pond. Also, by putting it in that corner, the human elements (adirondack chairs?) are not competing with the long "natural" view. Initially I was a bit unsure about a platform under the ash tree, because it seemed it might turn that into a "busy" area rather than a peaceful one. By moving it to the closer corner, I will be able to have my cake and eat it too :-) pls8xx, I understand about the importance of a planned view drawing, I draw home made ones all the time (pencil), and enjoy it. (it's my engineering background) I often work a plan for a year or two before implementing it. I don't see myself planting anything new here for a year at least, because I will be too busy removing cattails and reworking that corner. I'm still really impressed how you deduced those contour lines, your 50 years of experience really show. I've also learned first hand about drainage, having made a few corrections already at this property. Fortunately, my house sits on a small hill, with a gentle grade that naturally takes all the water away. Given that my driveway on a hill was not constructed with the correct camber, I experience first-hand the effects of rain and erosion and frequent repair. While I love the idea of a large sitting area in that corner, I'm not enamored with the path through the grass to get there. I like the large unbroken expanse of lawn here, creating a plain foreground for the view beyond. And the simple addition of chairs will allow the viewer to "know" which direction to go. That corner has always been difficult. The lawn slopes down to where it meets the pond, except when it gets to the low left corner, then the natural slope goes well below the pond edge in the corner, creating a small low spot that is spongy with water in spring and after heavy rains. In other words there is a dip. For the mower, it's also a sharp turn around a wet corner at a weird angle. (because of it's small and distant location I've been able to ignore it for years.) By redoing this corner with the addition of a lot of soil and a raised area, several problems could be fixed at once. And I will pay attention to scale. When I first moved here from my previous suburban yard, nothing I did was big enough. With practice and mocking everything up with hoses, I believe I've gotten much better at achieving appropriate scale for this large country property. I also really like Michelle's photos, that was a gorgeous pond! But as KarinL pointed out, that intensely landscaped pond may not fit into my WNY landscape, although there are ideas I can glean from it. Yardvaark, He's a homeless dude instead of a statesman. yuk yuk! Actually he needs no limbing, he has a long tall muscular trunk. However, he's been running with a scruffy crowd of 10 small punk trees behind him. The scraggly branches are theirs, not his. And the more I think about it, I'm inclined to agree with you that once that treeline is opened up a bit, the field alone might be a sufficient draw without a path. The reason I envision a path now is because that would give me a visual way out of there. With it opened up, that may not be necessary. Once the trees are gone (within the next couple weeks) I will go a season and observe the field and evaluate whether to mow a path. Once again, I really appreciate all the ideas here! Thanks for staying with this thread and all my wordy responses. You have all helped me tremendously!

Yeah, you probably get a lot of stuff about pedagogy (or how things are taught) in a google search. Paolo Freire coined the term conscientization, and his work was in pedagogy. But it's since been adopted and adapted by a number of different types of scholars. My definition is only one of many, and it's very specific to my field of study. It's used in different ways by different people, for different purposes. I like my purpose best though :) It's pronounced a lot like conscience, except that the "ie" sound is emphasized, and instead of an "s" sound at the end, replace it with a "tization," like in "privatization": consc-I-En-tization. I googled structural sin and right relationship after reading your post - I'd never googled any of these terms before, and it's weird to see all the different interpretations of them that exist on the ground. Interesting stuff. Snowboarding. Ugg. My feet are big enough as it is. I couldn't imagine putting something on them to make them even bigger. S.

SG, Thank you so much for your insight--I believe you are a true "dog whisperer"! Let me clarify a few things and ask specific training & environmental questions: First I'll say, due to you and Annz' kind help, I believe I have corrected one of my problems. When I designed our new home I made space under the wall cabinets in the laundry rm for the dogs' kennels--next to each other. I thgt I was so smart doing this, but for my dogs' personalities, this may be one big problem. So hours ago, I moved Tiger's kennel to a different room (pantry next to L. rm) and he went right in! So now they will have their own space--away from each other. ~~I am also not going to allow either to sit under my desk while I am working--maybe that made Pepper (the Wheaton) think Tiger was getting special treatment (?). #2: The dogs do know I am TOP DOG for I, also, use their food & bowls to show my dominance--pretend to eat a kernel from their bowls before putting bowl down--pick up while they are eating & touch them/their food while they are eating. Never a problem--never a growl or resistance. Also, when we pass thru a door outside I am to go first, after I have them sit-stay & wait for me. I have them sit/lay/stay on command from time to time during the day to reinforce this too. ~~A trainer I consulted after the first attack told me that they both knew I was top dog but I did things to allow Pepper to think she was my equal--that we were BOTH top dogs. So I've been doing these things for a long time---more strictly for about a yr--but now you'll see NOT STRICTLY ENOUGH. ***Let me be specific in my info and question: When I open a door to let them out, Pepper does bolt out the door ahead of me about 1/3 of the time. I use my correction sound (Ehhhhh) and she immediately returns to my side to sit/stay until I give her the "OK" to move. (Sometimes just hearing the correction sound from me, she stops & returns to my side.) Specifically, WHEN I say sit/stay--she ALWAYS obeys. If I give NO command, she will start thru the door. ~~~Writing this out, I see I'm slacking and creating top dog DOUBT in her mind. So she isn't totally convinced that I am top dog? Or am I teaching her that I AM top dog but if she "assumes a top dog behavior" there is no real consequence besides "re-doing the situation" and moving on? SO, I need to go back to square one and take better control--using a lead to control, give commands EVERY TIME AND be persistent. But is it as "simple" as that? I can & will do these things correctly now but what else am I doing or what else can I do. Surely my "allowing" her to even consider disobeying my top-dog status isn't the only reason she's "comfortable" risking punishment in order to attack Tiger? I believe Tiger knows Pepper is Alpha dog and is comfortable with it. It has to be ME & my behavior that affects Peppers attacks. Hope I've been somewhat clear about what I do & don't do in order for you all to help give me instruction & advice. tks again in advance, CB

I've been reading this but hadn't posting because I don't really have any advice to offer (having our own unresolved behavioral issues). We found out last year that SS's teacher (in complete disregard of published school rules) was rewarding the class with candy if they'd behaved decently. We were not happy. I have no idea why the kids weren't just expected to behave in school (this was second grade at that time) or why the teacher felt bribery was in order for what should just be a normal requirement, but that's what she did. We briefly talked about asking her to not give SS candy, but that didn't seem fair because he's always been well-behaved in school, so not only would he have been singled out but he'd miss out as well. The problem, of course, is that the teacher instilled the belief that sweets are a reward for doing something that they should have already been doing anyway. To compound the problem, DH was rewarding SS with dessert (pudding or applesauce) but only if he ate his dinner - normal enough, but over my protestations because I could see the writing on the wall on this one. DH kept saying that it was fine because SS was so thin (he still is) - I kept saying very bad idea because he especially needs healthy food and not empty calories. And that's where we are - now SS expects sweets at both lunchtime and dinner, and feels cheated if he doesn't get them. He's not yet been sneaking them (he did once, two years ago) but I wouldn't be surprised if it comes to that - because he's now becoming accustomed to getting at least one sweet on a daily basis. If/when that time comes, I'm putting my foot down and completely banning all sweets from this house until we're all sugar-detoxed! It's appalling to me. When SS hardly ever normally was given sweets, he'd hardly ever choose to eat them - we'd always end up throwing out candy from Halloween and Easter. But after his school, of all places, acted like it was normal to eat candy every day, SS has not surprisingly been asking for a lot more sugar products. And we wonder why kids are obese and diabetic at age six now....