if (document.images)
  {
  // browser supports Image object, so preload all images
  a1      = new Image()
  a1.src  = "images/a1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  a2      = new Image()
  a2.src  = "images/a2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  b1      = new Image()
  b1.src  = "images/b1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  b2      = new Image()
  b2.src  = "images/b2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  c1      = new Image()
  c1.src  = "images/c1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  c2      = new Image()
  c2.src  = "images/c2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  d1      = new Image()
  d1.src  = "images/d1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  d2      = new Image()
  d2.src  = "images/d2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  e1      = new Image()
  e1.src  = "images/e1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  e2      = new Image()
  e2.src  = "images/e2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  f1      = new Image()
  f1.src  = "images/f1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  f2      = new Image()
  f2.src  = "images/f2.gif"   // lit HOME image

  g1      = new Image()
  g1.src  = "images/g1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  g2      = new Image()
  g2.src  = "images/g2.gif"   // lit HOME image
  
  h1      = new Image()
  h1.src  = "images/h1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  h2      = new Image()
  h2.src  = "images/h2.gif"   // lit HOME image

  i1      = new Image()
  i1.src  = "images/i1.gif"      // unlit HOME image
  i2      = new Image()
  i2.src  = "images/i2.gif"   // lit HOME image

  
  }
else
  {
  // browser does NOT support Image object, so set all image vals to ""
  // to prevent errors from arising in onMouseOver/onMouseOut handlers
  a1 = ""; a2 = "";  document.aimg = ""
  b1 = ""; b2 = "";  document.bimg = ""
  c1 = ""; c2 = "";  document.cimg = ""
  d1 = ""; d2 = "";  document.dimg = ""
  e1 = ""; e2 = "";  document.eimg = ""
  f1 = ""; f2 = "";  document.fimg = ""
  g1 = ""; g2 = "";  document.gimg = ""
  h1 = ""; h2 = "";  document.himg = ""
  i1 = ""; i2 = "";  document.himg = ""
  }