Thanks Konrad. We did quite a bit of hardscaping, and will be doing a little bit more with the patio cover, arbors and the fountain. But, it will be very pretty when it's done, and we'll have a peaceful place to take a nap and for company to spread out. The orchard you see in the background behind our property is a lovely older Valencia orange orchard that sadly has been abandoned. It has been in the family for 2 generations, possibly 3, and the cost of water in S. California has put them out of business. It just breaks my heart. The oranges are the sweetest Valencia oranges I've ever had, and they make the most delicious juice. Patty S.

We just built a walk out basement and love it! We came from Missouri so we were VERY accustomed to walk outs with the hills, but when we moved to Oklahoma, the land is just to flat. But we found a hill! Most people here have no idea what a walk out basement is until they see a picture. We have very young boys but I am not nervous about having the walk out. The deck is high but really the railing is tall and tight so I have no worries about them falling. I like having a level front yard and level backyard. Our landscaping is simple, we built a boulder retaining wall to hold back the dirt on one side of the house but the other side has a gentle slope so we just graded it off. Most people see the front of your house anyway and it just looks like a normal house. The basement ceiling is over 9ft and with huge windows so it is very bright open and doesn't feel like a basement at all. There is no doubt that we would do a walk out basement again. I love being able to access the backyard from the basement and having a patio and deck is nice. We planned the deck so we could add stairs from the deck to the backyard later if we decide to, but I like how useable the space is without stairs. The energy efficiency of the basement is so much better than a normal 2 story would be and we still get the space without a huge footprint.

They are on sale online at Academy too I just checked, not all colors are on sale however for some reason. These for me run true to size, my sisters said the same thing. As to arch support they are fairly flat but have a really comfy innersole and the sole itself is shaped a bit. I can easily put my orthotics in side for more support. I have beyond flat feet and these feel very good. I wore them the entire day yesterday it was almost like being barefoot. I am definitely going to get more. They do make this same Go line for men also.

On a long-time travel forum, where I've made many friends and met them in person, we had a famous 14-page thread about stylish, yet comfortable walking shoes! As a person who averages 8 miles per day when I'm in Paris, I know what has proven to work for me. Caveat -- when in Paris, where I have many friends, I tend to wear nicer shoes than when I'm in more casual locations. You only get one pair of feet, so I spend a bit more on shoes with comfortable arch supports. I've never found inserts to help much. I like leather insoles, or the Skechers Yoga Mat. Here at home in the US, and in London or UK Countryside, I like Skechers with Yoga Mat insoles. Usually, you can get these under $70.00. These are my current go-to Fall slip-ons in grey: http://www.belk.com/p/skechers-relaxed-fit-traffic-slip-on-dress-casual-loafer/290006649109.html?dwvar_290006649109_color=025255484238#q=Skechers&lang=default&start=23 For long walks with my dog on trails and sidewalks in my neighborhood, I wear these slip-on sneakers: http://www.belk.com/p/skechers-go-walk-sneaker/390004754152.html?dwvar_390004754152_color=007286627297#q=Skechers&lang=default&start=29 For wet walks on trails for miles and miles, I wear these here and wore them in the Cotswolds this summer: https://www.rei.com/product/128516/ahnu-montara-iii-event-low-hiking-shoes-womens For Paris (and nicer occasions here at home) -- I wore these L'Amour des Pieds in June in 98 degree heat on city sidewalks. I averaged 8 miles a day, but walked up to 12 miles one day. I didn't wear socks/hose/tights of any kind. These look good with black tights in cooler weather, or black leggings. 'Bane' Wedge (mine are black leather): https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/lamour-des-pieds-bane-wedge-women/4066786?origin=topnav&cm_sp=Top%20Navigation--Women--Comfort&offset=2&top=72&brand=9460 For nicer dining out with my friends, I wore these red sandals. They look good with flare-leg retro jeans, skinny leg jeans, slim ankle length pants, long skirts or dresses. https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/lamour-des-pieds-brenn-ankle-strap-sandal-women/4059232?origin=topnav&cm_sp=Top%20Navigation--Women--Comfort&offset=2&top=72&brand=9460 I don't know if they're still available, but in cold weather, I wear my Dansko 'Lola' ankle boots, or one of my three pair of Aquatalia ankle boots. Similar to this pair (I have black, taupe; and I also have a dark grey "moto" boot). I have worn both the black and the taupe in Paris for lots of walking. https://shop.nordstrom.com/s/aquatalia-franca-weatherproof-bootie-women/4794483?contextualcategoryid=2374961&origin=keywordsearch&keyword=aquatalia