var Amount=10; // number of items falling
		
		// preload of images so page doesn't drag
		Image0 = new Image();
		Image0.src = "images/spring/flake1.gif";
		Image1 = new Image();
		Image1.src = "images/spring/flake2.gif";
		Image2 = new Image();
		Image2.src = "images/spring/flake3.gif";
		Image3 = new Image();
		Image3.src = "images/spring/flake4.gif";
		Image4 = new Image();
		Image4.src = "images/spring/flake5.gif";
		Image5 = new Image();
		Image5.src = "images/spring/flake6.gif";
		Image6 = new Image();
		Image6.src = "images/spring/flake7.gif";
		Image7 = new Image();
		Image7.src = "images/spring/flake8.gif";
		Image8 = new Image();
		Image8.src = "images/spring/flake9.gif";
		Image9 = new Image();
		Image9.src = "images/spring/flake10.gif";
		Image10 = new Image();
		Image10.src = "images/spring/flake11.gif";
		Image11 = new Image();
		Image11.src = "images/spring/flake12.gif";
		
		// loads images into an array for use later to randomize their appearance
		// length of grphcs array must match the number of image sources assigned below
		grphcs = new Array(11); 
		grphcs[0] = "images/spring/flake1.gif";
		grphcs[1] = "images/spring/flake2.gif";
		grphcs[2] = "images/spring/flake3.gif";
		grphcs[3] = "images/spring/flake4.gif";
		grphcs[4] = "images/spring/flake5.gif";
		grphcs[5] = "images/spring/flake6.gif";
		grphcs[6] = "images/spring/flake7.gif";
		grphcs[7] = "images/spring/flake8.gif";
		grphcs[8] = "images/spring/flake9.gif";
		grphcs[9] = "images/spring/flake10.gif";
		grphcs[10] = "images/spring/flake11.gif";
		grphcs[11] = "images/spring/flake12.gif";
		
		Ypos=new Array();
		Xpos=new Array();
		Speed=new Array();
		Step=new Array();
		Cstep=new Array();
		
		// builds an outer div as a layer for the images to fall in
		document.write('<div style="position:absolute;top:0px;left:0px"><div style="position:relative">');
		
		// randomnly lays out Amount number of DIVs with an image in each, placing them in the upper left hand corner
		for (i = 0; i < Amount; i++){
			var P=Math.floor(Math.random()*grphcs.length);
			rndPic=grphcs[P];
			document.write('<img id="si" src="'+rndPic+'" style="position:absolute;top:0px;left:-600px">');
		}	
		document.write('</div></div>');
		
		// determines the width and height of the window so that the shower objects cover the whole window
		WinHeight = window.document.body.clientHeight;
		WinWidth = window.document.body.clientWidth;
		
		// provides each object a randomn beginng location within the window, randomn speed of movement down, current step for the horizontal oscillation, the base step for horizontal oscillation
		for (i=0; i < Amount; i++){                                                                
			Ypos[i] = Math.round(Math.random()*WinHeight);
			Xpos[i] = Math.round(Math.random()*WinWidth);
			Speed[i]= Math.random()*3+2;
			Cstep[i]=0;
			Step[i]=Math.random()*0.1+0.05;
		}
		
		function fall(){
		
			// determines the width and height of the window so that the shower objects cover the whole window
			var WinHeight = window.document.body.clientHeight;
			var WinWidth = window.document.body.clientWidth;
			
			// identifies the where the user has scrolled to on the page
			var hscrll = document.body.scrollTop;
			var wscrll = document.body.scrollLeft;
			
			
			for (i=0; i < Amount; i++){
			
				sy = Speed[i]*Math.sin(90*Math.PI/180);
				sx = Speed[i]*Math.cos(Cstep[i]);
				Ypos[i]+=sy;
				Xpos[i]+=sx;
				 
				if (Ypos[i] > WinHeight){
					Ypos[i]=-60;
					Xpos[i]=Math.round(Math.random()*WinWidth);
					Speed[i]=Math.random()*6+2;
				}
				
				si[i].style.pixelLeft=Xpos[i];
				si[i].style.pixelTop=Ypos[i]+hscrll;
				
				Cstep[i]+=Step[i];
			}
			setTimeout('fall()',10);
		}