diff --git a/palettes.txt b/palettes.txt
index 1072c68..3666d79 100644
--- a/palettes.txt
+++ b/palettes.txt
@@ -9,11 +9,16 @@ Arcade Mode palette notes:
 --   4 (underwater) is a deeper blue shade part of sea
 -- 6: dolphin specular highlights
 -- 7: dolphin white paint
--- 8, 9: unassigned, layer specific
+-- 8, 9: layer specific
+--  sky:
+--    8: bright cloud shadows (15)
+--    9: light gray for clouds (6? 13? 134?)
 -- 10: word primary (yellow 10?)
 -- 11: word shadow (wood 132?)
 -- 12: dolphin eye
--- 13: common sky color
+-- 13: common sky color 
+--     this is a reassignment candidate but means I will never do
+--     the "sunset palette cycle" thing
 -- 14: dolphin primary color
 -- 15: highlight white (all layers)
 --
diff --git a/vacation.p8 b/vacation.p8
index 18ce4f6..4494204 100644
--- a/vacation.p8
+++ b/vacation.p8
@@ -1396,6 +1396,97 @@ function toyphin:draw()
  spr(st.s[1+(((t()<<1)&0x0.ffff*#st.s)&0x7fff)], self.x + st.xo, y + st.yo, self.state.ws, self.state.hs)
 end
 
+-->8
+
+-- pyrex's cloud renderer
+
+cld_bpl={241,242,244,248}
+cmgr={
+ f=0,
+ df=1,
+ bpi=1, -- TODO: bitplane index -- different algorithm
+ sprs=10,
+ step=3,
+ y=12,
+ h=9,
+ oval_h=4,
+ c0 = 8, -- shadow
+ c1 = 7, -- primary
+}
+mknew(cmgr, function(self)
+ self.clouds = {}
+ --todo: nonempty spawn
+end)
+
+function cmgr:u()
+ self.f+=self.df
+	if self.f%(self.step*self.sprs) == 0 then
+  self.f=0
+	 local bp=cld_bpl[self.bpi]
+  self.bpi += 1
+  if (self.bpi > #cld_bpl) self.bpi = 1
+		add(self.clouds,{x=127,y=rnd()*self.h,w=flr(rnd()*16)+16,plane=bp})
+	end
+	 
+	if self.f%self.step==0 then
+	 local clouds2={}
+	 for c in all(self.clouds) do
+	  c.x-=1
+	  if (c.x+c.w>-6) add(clouds2,c)
+	 end
+	 self.clouds=clouds2
+	end
+end
+
+function cmgr:draw()
+ --back up pal01
+ memcpy(0x8010,0x5f00,32)
+ --back up pal2
+ memcpy(0x8000,0x5f60,16)
+ fillp(0)
+	local h=self.h+self.oval_h+1
+	assert(h<=16)
+
+	-- render to spritesheet
+	poke(0x5f55,0x00)
+	rectfill(0,96,127,96+h,0)
+	
+	-- use bitplanes
+	for c in all(self.clouds) do
+		poke(0x5f5e,c.plane)
+		ovalfill(c.x,96+c.y,c.x+c.w,96+c.y+self.oval_h,15)
+	end
+	poke(0x5f5e,255)
+	
+	-- render from high memory
+	-- to higher memory
+	rectfill(0,112,127,112+h,0)
+
+	palt(0b1110100010000000)
+	for i=0,15 do
+		pal(i,7)
+	end
+	
+	poke(0x5f5e,0xf1)
+	sspr(0,96,128,h,0,112) 
+	poke(0x5f5e,0xf2)
+	sspr(0,96,128,h,1,112+1) 
+	sspr(0,96,128,h,5,112+1) 
+	poke(0x5f5e,255)
+	
+	-- render to screen
+	poke(0x5f55,0x60)
+	pal()
+	pal(1,self.c1)
+	pal(2,self.c0)
+	pal(3,self.c1)
+	sspr(0,112,128,h,0,self.y)
+
+ -- restore former palettes
+ memcpy(0x5f00,0x8010,32)
+ memcpy(0x5f60,0x8000,16)
+end
+
 -->8
 -- arcade mode
 
@@ -1441,7 +1532,7 @@ function setup_arcade_pal()
  pal()
  --game_nrm_pal
  pal({
-  [0] = 1, 0, 2, 140, 4, 5, 7, 7, 8, 9, 10, 132, 12, 12, 14, 7
+  [0] = 1, 0, 2, 140, 4, 5, 7, 7, 15, 6, 10, 132, 12, 12, 14, 7
  }, 1)
  --game_uw_pal
  pal({
@@ -1565,6 +1656,7 @@ mknew(arcade_level, function(x)
  }
  x.sky = bg.new{c=13}
  x.sea = sea.new()
+ x.cld1 = cmgr.new{}
  x.bg = event_list.new()
  x.fg = event_list.new()
  x.words = event_list.new()
@@ -1574,6 +1666,7 @@ mknew(arcade_level, function(x)
 
  x.v = view.of{
   x.sky,
+  x.cld1,
   x.sea,
   x.waves,
   x.noscore and blank or {