I would suggest looking for a caretaker job that could lead to full time employment. Links that might be useful: www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/farm-caretaker-zmaz76mjztak.aspx Caretaker.org

"Hi Comettose, Thanks for your advice re the pond; the shop vac which you are using--what brand is it? You mentioned water change, how much water do you discard when you backwash the pond? A few inches e.g. 3 or 4" or more in the Spring. What source do you use for your aquatic plants? I am unfamiliar with Thalia." I just ran down the basement to see what brand and it says 'ShopVac'. 14 gallon capacity. It is red and black. My neighbors gave it to me. It is on wheels and sits in a partial container (can't explain that too well). 10.5 amp motor. It has a long hose and there are small wedge attachments, brush attachments, etc. It shuts off when the holding tank is full and I unscrew a cap and all the water and leaves/gravel shoots out around my pond plantings. You have to be careful with it - it will suck up fish or frogs (not that I've done that) but it does have powerful suction. If my fish or frogs get nosy and try to swim near the suction tip I move it away. It is easy to move around the pond as it has a handle on top and I can pull it along on the wheels. My pond is approximately 8 x 10, about 19 to 21 inches deep. When I do a partial water change I take it down anywhere from 3 to 6 inches. I bought my Thalia a few years ago at Lowe's. It needs a really big pot as the plant itself is 3/4 feet or taller and the bloom stalks shoot up six feet. The flowers are purple and smell and look something like lilac. The bees like them. The base of the stems are reddish and the leaves sort of blue/green. You can buy Thalia at Lilypons (online). It is a native plant. There are tropical versions too, but mine is hardy as I leave it in my Zone 7 pond all winter. I'll search around for a photo of it. Here is a link that might be useful: ShopVac Link

Thanks for the comments. I checked some reviews and AVG was highly rated. Microsoft Essentials had good reviews too as along as it's paired with a third party spyware. This post was edited by maire_cate on Tue, Oct 29, 13 at 10:30

Windows on Washington Ltd, Yes, of course, there are going to be formal drawings, but I'm trying to decide how I want it to look, what the heights of the windows can be etc. I do understand your point that framing etc dictates much of this, but I'm working on ideas and aesthetics. Then when I meet with the person doing the plans I will have firm ideas on what I want it to look like. Do you have a suggestion for a planner I might use? thank you