Ccoombs1 is correct about ProformC to some extent in that below 60 it will go to the bottom of the pond and the level becomes too high and poison the fish but if the bottom and top water is being mixed all the time it is not a problem. Volume for the ProformC needs to be somewhat close with in about 10%. The prazi can be off even more and demilin can off even further. You have far more leeway with these than other treatments. I don't think that it is HS or CO2 from decaying matter as not all the fish died at one time which is what I would expect with either of those. It would be possible that the levels could maintain right at the level to start to affect fish for a period of time but if that was the case than when winter hit and the pond froze over the levels should have increased to the point to kill all the fish. But it could be one of those poisons but not very likely. If I had to guess I would believe costia only because of the effects in cold water but it could another parasite that has weaken the fish to the point that the winter is finishing them off. Mike

First-aid kit with a medic-spray on top. Container of handwipes. Scissors. Insurance information. Your address book. Pen and paper notebook for notes [or for the kids to play with]. Books, magazines, and games for the kids. A roll of trash bags. A spray bottle of 50/50 alcohol/water for quick clean-ups. Terry hand towels, at least one for each sink. Put a case of bottled water in the car. If you drink coffee, put the coffeemaker, filter, a couple pre-measured bags of ground coffee along with the mugs, spoons, sugar, etc in a box to be brought in the car. A box of breakfast fixin's along with bowls and plasticware. If you possibly can, the crockpot filled and ready to cook a one-dish meal, for the first real meal. You can prepare the crockpot in advance and freeze it. Carried in a cooler, it will very slowly defrost during the trip, and will be ready to plug in upon your arrival. A new broom and dustpan. The vacuum [if you don't have whole-house]. Remember that it is not a waste of time to label each box, in detail. Be sure the movers put the boxes each in the assigned room. If it is at all possible, hire a babysitter to watch little kids while the actual moving is underway. Everyone has their own method, but I found it easiest to unpack in this order (assuming rugs and carpets are placed): Refrigerated and frozen foods. Beds set up and linens put on the bed. Bath towels hung [everyone can unpack their own toiletries]. Kitchen utensils; pans, plates, silverware. Pantry supplies. Help kids hang/drawer clothing. Hang/drawer adult clothing. Put away the rest of the bathroom supplies and linens. Once the basic living needs are in place, THEN one can unpack and place furniture for everywhere else. Don't remove the furniture's bubblewrap/quilting until it is in the place you want it. Keep handy a misting-spray bottle of water to counteract static as you remove the plastic-wraps. Vacuum everything [yes floors and walls too] after the furniture is unwrapped. After the furniture is placed, the accessories and books can be done, but allow yourself to take time with them. Let others help you. Young folks can stack the linens on the shelves and arrange the canned goods (you can always alphabetize later). Have a big folk do the unwrapping and final placement of furniture. Have another big folk wash windows and sweep the sidewalk and driveway. Have a sure-handed person unwrap delicate items. Have a strong person carry all the boxes of non-seasonal and holiday stuff to the attic [or where ever]. Put a kid in charge of wiping up fingerprints from the doors with the alcohol/water spray and a soft towel; same kid can wipe down the dressers, tables etc with a soft clean cloth. A kid can line the drawers and shelves. Put another kid in charge of [a copy of] the to-do list ~ pre-teens are great at this. Enjoy your new house.

"Back when the boys were young I was thinking that I would not want them to work while going to college but since have completely changed my mind on that. There is no guarantee of a job after they graduate but there will be even less of a chance if they have no real work experience" YES!! I'm a career advisor at the university level and I have observed, without exception, that kids without any job experience not only are a serious disadvantage but that they have weaker life skills. I'm impressed especially by kids who have been budding entrepreneurs: running a lawn care business, or babysitting or the gold standard-tutoring. Life guarding or camp counselors are great too; that shows someone who literally can be trusted with other people's lives. Working in a store or fast food restaurant--if someone ran the cash register that means s/he was trusted with the most important business tool of all: OPM-other people's money. And so on. Believe it or not, the kids with job experience, no matter how low level, also tend to be on the more successful academically and in terms of involvement. You know the saying "if you want something done, ask the busiest person you know." Lot of truth to that even for kids. However, I know that many parents, and we were in this group, feel that in HS kids' job is to learn. Especially in today's competitive world getting those grades and high test scores for college apps is critically important. Still, when I am reviewing resume drafts I always sigh a bit when one of my freshmen has *nothing* to list for work experience. Kids learn a lot from the most menial jobs and recruiters rank experience very highly because it teaches all those values that a boss wants to see: reliability, organization skills, character etc. And when I get a college junior or heaven forbid a senior who has never earned any money for him/herself, that is a major negative. Frankly, it creates the appearance of a spoiled kid lacking real world skills. And parents, let me give you an insider's tip: there are always a few hours a week that a college student can work. Trust me, even the most intensive majors have options that can be fitted into a tough academic plan. There are campus jobs in the library, or at the computer lab, or even as security officers in the dorms at which students can often study while they work. Carving out 5-15 hours weekly to work can be done and it should be done. IMO we baby boomer parents have created a whole structure around our college kids that makes them what I once heard called "dependent independent". By setting up a young adult, and at ages 18-22 that's what they are, with a prepaid life including housing, food, and expenses you are not helping them learn and grow. Instead you're hindering your child from learning the life lessons of independence, financial management and responsibility. In our personal situation my two college age kids both go to the university at which I work so the tuition is covered. They both have chosen to live at home, which means there are no additional housing costs. If they want to eat with us it's fine and I will purchase food if they ask me to pick up items when I grocery shop. Otherwise, their expenses are their responsibility. Our son has a truck and pays for the upkeep including maintenance and insurance. Both kids work part time and their spending money pays for all entertainment, travel, clothes, and incidentals. It's so important to start learning to let go and as others have said, that means letting adult children figure out how to be functional adult with all that entails. Ann

Ok.......someone please explain to me how a shelter can have a full time vet and several vet techs, yet not be able to afford testing? Depends on the kind of shelter you are talking about. The volunteer based- no permanent facility- foster network based rescue will probably NOT have a vet. A shelter with a facility, or Animal Control type shelter will more often than not have a vet. Why they cannot afford beyond basic. For one, most tests (besides the obvious fecals, FIV/FeLV tests) cannot be done in house for the lack of equipment - and hence, the high price of sending off to the lab has to be paid. Bloodwork is usually sent out to the lab. Same with allergy testing. Same for XRays... For a large shelter, it is cost effective to have a vet on premises, for basic care. Spay/neuter, rabies vaccination, minor amputations, URI management - these are the handful of things a vet is capable of doing at a shelter. Resources are, unfortunately, limited - and a vet is one against hundreds of animals. Unfortunately, this is the way it is. Having said that, some shelters will try to do beyond the basic care, if possible. Most people working at shelters do care - though, I am sure, they get overwhelmed. When one of my fosters went to the local shelter - which I have a very close relationship with - I was contacted back about jaundice she was exhibiting. I have the Do Not Euthanize order on my fosters, and an understanding/agreement with the rescues that I will take my fosters back. The shelter did test the cat at their expense - they sent off the bloodwork, and diagnosed her with Feline Infectious Anemia. If the cat did not have the safety net of DNE, she would have been euth - and understandably so, as the shelter could not have adopted her out. The cat is now part of my permanent household.... Newhomeseeker, I am glad you are volunteering your time and I am glad you are watching out for these animals. It seems that shelter staff, regardless of the love they have for animals and the desire to help, get the big picture too much (we cant save them all kind of approach) , when it becomes easier to give up on an individual animal... I hope the kitty improves, and thank you for caring for her. It will never become easier, and if you continue caring, you will have your heart broken again. I tried to help a kitty today, with a gunshot wound - and could not get to it on time - the friendly cat was reaching out to people for help and got hauled off to get euthanized before we could reach it. It is never easy. Even if you save 100, the one you did not save just gets you.