Look, check it out:



We started the fish thing way back in the beginning. After almost a year we decided it was time to change out the tank and go with a new look. Sorry, don't have pics of the original setup. Had your typical sunken pirate ship with blue gravel scene.

Well the heat has hit. Calling for triple digits over the next 4 days. We keep trying to save our energy cost not only good for the wallet but also the environment. So we keep the house closed up during the day. Once the inside temps reach 82 degrees than on goes the air conditioner. The house is surprisingly well insulated so generally the air gets turned on around 4'ish. Than once the sun goes down between 8 and 9 we turn off the air and prior to going to bed we open the windows for the cool night breezes. This keeps the house in tolerable limits without running the electric bill to high.

Speaking of electric. Our power company has been making noises about the increase in cost of petroleum products that may cause hour power bills to go up. I say interesting because the power company claims to get 80% of its electricity from nuclear power. They allegedly own a stake in a nuclear power plant. Must be all the WD40 they have to use?

So I'm looking at cooling vests. Garments you use under your clothing to help stay cool. Sitting in my chair from 7 in the morning to midnight takes its toll on my system. I am always hot! These vest run a bit of money, about $300 plus. Unfortunately there is no "try before you buy" deals to be had. There are several techniques that are used. One style requires immersion into icy water. Than let it "drip dry" and put it on. I'm not really comfy with putting a wet item on my electric wheelchair. Another style requires that you freeze inserts than insert them in the vest. Seems a bit bulky. These 2 have the added disadvantage of only being good for a couple hours. The local fire department uses the vest with the inserts on their Hazmat outfits. In real use they get 20 minutes of cooling.

The 3rd unit I'm looking at uses pvc tubing and a recirculating cooling liquid ran from a 12v pump. This looks promising, but most expensive of the bunch.

I'll let you know what I decide...........