Eric, I'm computer illiterate so I'm not sure how to do that, especially since my scanner quit working. As poppa says, the greatest pressure is at the bottom. I design and build homes and I went to my design tables for wood construction. My tables are for white woods and you should gain some 25-30% with yellow pine or doug fir. I didn't dig my books out to size the beam for those species, so 2- 2x12 is probably overkill. You would nail them together as you would a header or floor girder. Of course they'd be attached perpendicular to the sheathing.You'd run the corners past each other and one beam over, one under then bolt them. Without digging out my APA books I'd say 3/4" sheathing would more than suffice. Frankly, a round tank might make more sense because the wood framing at the exterior of the tank will eat up 12"all around your tank. You should block between the framing members at all corners and at mid-span. Top member could be a 2x8- only 9" of pressure against it. Just like building a floor vertically, really. Mark

I just got this email from our NY Senator Cathy Young. Apparently the growth in bears is not just our particular area. The Governor put it quietly into law that our county can hunt bears. I say quietly because no one around here knew about that new law until the local paper mentioned it. Here's her email: "Dear Ann, Black bears are an important and natural part of our environment, and their population in New York is growing. As the number of bears increases, sightings in our area are becoming increasingly common and the likelihood of interaction with people inevitably rises. With an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 bears in New York's woods and forests, it is important to know how to avoid bears and how to react if you come in contact with a bear. Black bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. However, damage to property is much more common. Follow these tips to steer clear of bears and protect your family, pets, and home: Never feed bears intentionally; feeding creates human-bear conflicts and is illegal. If a bear learns it can be fed by humans, it will become more bold and aggressive towards people. Avoid leaving out food and garbage that will attract bears. This includes bird feeders, which should be removed after April 1 if there is a risk of attracting bears. Remove the grease from gas and charcoal grills after use. Do not leave out pet food or even empty dishes, which can still attract a bear. Do not operate a refrigerator or freezer outside or on an outside porch. Bears will be able to smell what is inside. If you are camping in the woods, there is an even greater need to exercise caution: Keep your campsite as clean as possible. Do not leave out food, coolers, or anything else that may carry the scent of food, including the clothing worn while preparing or eating a meal. Cook and eat before dark. Bears become more active after sunset. If you do encounter a bear, keep these tips in mind: Never approach or surround a bear. Any action that makes a bear feel threatened can provoke an aggressive response. Be especially cautious around cubs. Mother bears are very protective. Use noise to scare bears away. Yelling, clapping, or banging pots will help frighten the bear off. Never run. If in close quarters, back away slowly. Do not throw food at an approaching bear. It will further encourage them to approach humans. By following these tips and precautions, we can ensure that black bears keep to themselves and conflicts are avoided. Working together, we can maintain and protect our bear population, while also protecting people and their property. For more information on New York's black bears, visit the Department of Environmental Conservation's website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6960.html. As always, never hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can help with. Warmest regards, Senator Cathy Young 57th District Albany Office: 307 Legislative Office Bldg Albany, NY 12247 518-455-3563 District Office: 700 West State Street, West Gate Plaza Olean, NY 14760 716-372-4901

First of all I would like to address drygulch. The sparkling or croaking gouramis stay small...however they are really not a beginner fish.....this fish would not give moregirl the colorful show that she was hoping for in her 6 gallon tank. So therefore I ruled this fish out for her tank. Now moregirl.....you will definately be heading in the right direction with 6 blue neons or 6 black neons....you may wish to get an odd number like 5 or 7.....just for a more pleasing view....I don't know but they say odd numbers look better.....I personally would stick to just 6....I am more concerned with the health of my fish than what looks extremely pleasing to the eye. When I mentioned cycling your tank........I am very suspicious that you probably have ammonia problems...caused by the over feeding. Do you have an ammonia test kit? Are your tests reading 0 ppm? If you are getting any other reading......basically you are still cycling your tank.......it won't matter if you have had it set up for 6 years.....if you have an ammonia peak.....it has to be dealt with.....or any new fish you add will still have health issues. Here my house temps go down at night....so the temps in my aquariums will go down to.....but I have heaters that prevent this from happening. Its especially dangerous with small tanks because the temps can change very quickly.....larger tanks cool slower because of the volumn. I agree with the above post that a 25W heater with changeable settings is what you need. I run my basic tanks around 76F. Again you must have the heater running and the temp regulated before you add your new fish. Just leave the heater in the tank and plugged in all the time...it won't come on...unless the temp starts to drop. A themometer that goes in the tank and is easy to read, is best...don't get the stick on the outside type....the room temp influences the stick on type. Oh I just noticed that Woe mentioned the test kits.... As you can see there is a lot more to fish keeping than just sticking some pretty fish in water......this hobby is a difficult one that takes a lot of time, learning and patience! Sierra

the worst fall is for your feet to shoot out in front of you and then falling on your back possibly banging the back of your head. I had one of those 'grand' falls 10 yr ago. I found myself laying flat out backsidedown and slamming onto an icy sidewalk. It had snowed a small amount ahd hid an icy patch. I was striding along with a bag or groceries in each hand and down I went. It was started by a slippery heel on my boot. The tread was worn away on the impact edge. I tensed while in the air and landed hard. After impact, I found it hard to breathe. I thought I had the wind temporarily knocked out of me, but the ensuing pain with each breath told it was more. It was; I had am internal rip, a hernia. I did not slam my head, but had a serious injury anyway. It took 6 weeks to heal and I still have the hernia - Ugh! These days when the footing is slippery, you'll see me walking like and old man. I'll be leaning forward to bias the direction of a fall should one occur. In extreme cases, I may look like a hunch-back. Its bad posture for walking exercise, but beats the alternative of landing flat of my back. Watch the heel contact area of your footwear. The impact patch should have good tread. If it is smooth, it can suddently turn into a water lubricated bearing surface and it will do this without warning. Walking in deep snow ( 8 inches or more of depth), the hazard of falling is lessened, but walking is much more difficult. It requires a change of technique and do not expect to travel as fast. That's about the depth to break out snowshoes for a hike on the trail. It takes some practice to use snow shoes, but it makes it possible to walk in really deep snow. For the first time out, do not go far away from your home or shelter. It is great exercise, but exhaustion can set in quickly and you do not want to be very far away from 'home base'. After you become more accustomed to travel by snow shoe, it can be a good source of enjoyable winter exercise.