ADAMS TWP — Randy and Lisa Rawa have been thinking about their dream home since they were high school sweethearts more than 20 years ago.

When they finally were able to buy a 1¼-acre lot in the John Quincy Adams housing plan six years ago, they planted trees even before the home was built.

Their backyard, including a waterfall and pond installed this spring, will be part of the third annual self-guided Parade of Ponds tour in Butler, Allegheny, Beaver and Westmoreland counties this weekend.

The tour will feature 22 ponds.

The Rawas' large, two-story home was complete four years ago, and since then each summer they added another landscaping project. This spring it was a 30-foot-long, 2,000-gallon waterfall and pond that runs alongside their in-ground pool.

A variety of colorful plants and trees surround the pond, which is filled with koi fish. A dozen newly installed trees separate the pond from the neighbor's home, giving the backyard a secluded feeling, which is difficult to attain in upscale housing plans.

"We don't have to go somewhere else for a paradise," said Randy Rawa, who is an anesthesiologist at Butler Memorial Hospital.

The pond was installed by the Wexford-based Soergel Landscapes, which also organizes the pond tour.

The Rawas had the idea for a pond and waterfall when they went to Disney World in Florida several years ago.

"In our hotel, there was a pool fed by waterfalls. We wanted to recreate that feeling," said Lisa Rawa, who is executive director of the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association.

The waterfall lends to a relaxing atmosphere in the backyard, they said.

"We like to entertain a lot, and make use of the warm weather. The sound of the water falling is relaxing. Sometimes it's hard to come in at night, we want to stay out here," she said.

"It's a family thing. When my parents visit, they like to sit out here. We all come out here in the morning, and talk and sit with coffee," she added.

They said the koi are easy to take care of and fun to have. Their 6-year-old, Braeden, likes to feed the fish.

Even with the number of plants in the yard, the maintenance is easy, they said.

"Between our son and work and everything, we didn't want anything back here that was hard to upkeep," Lisa Rawa said.

The pond is kept clean by snails and bacteria they added when it was first installed. The koi survive on the plants in the pond, and the waterfall can run year-round.

Each participant on the tour can choose a charity that the money raised goes to. The Rawa family chose the Golden Treasures Rescue, which finds new homes for golden retriever dogs at pounds or animal shelters. Through this Ohio-based nonprofit organization, the Rawas have adopted two dogs, Hailey and Kendall.

Other charities the tour's proceeds will benefit are Contact Pittsburgh, Sierra Club Allegheny Chapter, the Mars Public Library, St. John Specialty Care Center, and the Victims Outreach Intervention Center.

In the past two years, more than 800 visitors have gone through the tour.

Kevin Soergel, owner of Soergel Landscapes, decided three years ago to start a tour. Aquascape Designs, an international pond supply manufacturer that Soergel buys from, came up with the Parade of Ponds that retailers could do.

Tickets and maps of the tour are available at each of the six charities for a suggested donation of $20 per family. They can also be bought at these three Wexford locations: Soergel Orchards and Greenhouses, 2573 Brandt School Road; Outside Inspirations, 12085 Perry Highway; and North Way Christian Community Church, 12121 Perry Highway.

Tickets are also available online at www.yourescapes.net.

<b>What:</b> Third annual Parade of Ponds self-guided tour<b>When:</b> 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday<b>Where:</b> Twenty-two gardens and ponds in Allegheny, Butler, Beaver and Westmoreland counties<b>Cost:</b> $20, with all proceeds going to various charities<b>INFORMATION:</b> Call 724-444-7663 or www.yourescapes.net.