Mike, "BINGO", it's all about the money. I'll do some research in reference to more energy-efficient pumps. Our spare pump is about shot anyway and should be replaced. So, that solution should be doable. Good idea! Nancy, I didn't know the UV lights didn't last long. Our filter is above ground but is almost completely surrounded with thick landscape stones with a cover. It's also located under our breezeway that connects the house to the garage. Don't think it will ever freeze but it's good to know that we should keep an eye on it. Lsst, in the past, without fail, I've always thoroughly cleaned the pond in early spring and in the fall. In addition, I'm usually on leaf patrol all year because we have huge trees. Some that shed in spring and some that shed in the fall, so, there are always leaves to contend with here. This September my mom was ill and I spent 4 months in middle Georgia. Honestly, when I returned home and saw the pond, I was surprised ANY of the fish were still alive. The boss is excellent at building things and the technical stuff; however, if the water is clear, the boss thinks the pond is clean & healthy for the fish. I've been playing catchup ever since my return. Hardin, if I had that cold and snow to deal with all winter, I'd be a nervous wreck. I did live in NJ for 3 years in the 80's and every winter there...I WAS A NERVOUS WRECK! Thanks again, everyone. I'm always learning around here. Bon

I'm happy with my $20.00 Radio Shack in/out-door hygro-thermometer which stores max/min indoor and outdoor temperature, and humidity. Switches between Celsius, Fahrenheit. I don't think one can practically use it both indoors and outdoors at the same time. The "long distance" sensor is attached to mother unit by an approx 6ft long wire. and I don't know how one can practically stick the wire sensor outside in winder without creating draft. So I use the outdoor sensor to measure readings on the other end of my growing table :). Oregon Scientific has a wireless version but BEWARE: the mother and remote units are usually sold separately. Also I tend to believe sophistication to be directly proportional to risk of being broken. Check reviews before you purchase any. When I was shopping around on Google, I learned that musicians/music instrument makers are very knowledgeable about these since temperature/humidity affect the wood/strings of instruments and therefore pitch, etc. Can't help you with the light meter - sorry. Hope this helps, alvin

There's no trick to it. It firms up on its own as it cools. I've had success by nuking frosting at 50% in 5 second increments until it's just barely just liquified. I test by stirring. It only needs to be warm enough to be dip-able. In my mind, (your mileage may vary) warming the frosting in a shallow, flat-bottomed container, barely bigger than your cubes, would be less messy than pouring... you could dip one side at a time, and if you worked quickly, your finger marks in the frozen cake would fall out as it cooled. I learned this trick from an awesome book I bought my niece and nephew for Christmas. They describe the technique on pages 18 & 19, which you can see by clicking on the "search inside this book" link, entering the work "microwave" in the search pane, selecting the second search result, and turning to page 19 with the right hand arrow. (For the record, the book is way fun!) I tried this dipping technique with cupcake frosting and the results were so flawless that the ladies I served them to assumed I'd done something very difficult and fancy. The punchline was that it took less time to dip (from scratch) cupcakes into warmed white Duncan Heinz frosting (with a bit of yellow food coloring and lemon extract added) than it would have taken to frost by the traditional method. The frosting firmed up a bit and they looked beautiful. This book also demonstrates a stupid-simple technique of drawing a design on a paper template, slipping the template on wax paper, melting some colored wafers, spooning them into a ziploc, cutting a tiny hole in the corner, and drawing on the wax paper. To see an example, enter the word "monarch" in the search pane and see pages 77-79. Or just buy the book. It's a fun jumping-off point for the imagination.

Wow, what a cute cute guy!! Just adorable!! Congratulations! In addition to the "big" stuff, ask your sister what kinds of food he and she like to have, and stock up. One thing I don't like about traveling with my baby is that, in addition to all the diapers and clothes and other supplies, you always have to bring a cooler with milk and tons of food. Such a hassle. For once I'd love to get to my inlaws and they've already got kid and baby-friendly food ready. Hm... maybe this is just an issue with my inlaws?? ;) At any rate, it would be one less thing she'd have to travel with. It also wouldn't hurt to pick up a baby thermometer and some baby Tylenol or Motrin, in case she forgets to bring hers. Nothing is worse than being away from home and your kiddo gets sick, and you don't have what you need to make him feel better. Enjoy your visit, you sound like a really great aunt already! :)