Adventures in the Animal Kingdom
I carried on the most ridiculous conversation yesterday with an employee at a local fish store.
Me: Um, hi. My in-laws purchased a betta fish for my young daughter and, well, I don't think he's doing too well.
Fish Guy: What's he doing?
Me: Laying on his side. He doesn't want to eat. He hardly swims around. But I know he's alive because he moves when I tap the bowl.
After running through a short list of betta care questions, I'm left with this: our betta may have had a stroke.
So evidentally I'm feeding and cleaning the bowl of a stroked-out, $3.50, slightly crazed betta. See what I mean about ridiculous?
Our outdoor "pet" situation is no better. Our front porch slats, apparently, provide delicious munchies to a very cheeky, obstinate and, dare I say, vicious squirrel. I tell you what. This thing looks me in the eye and just dares me to take a step in his direction. I had the audacity to head out front to pick up our mail and the little thing stared me down and refused to budge! I swear he's going to charge me or the Wee One someday. Jeremy laughs at this concern, but he hasn't seen the challenge in this squirrel's eye yet.
Tredways: 0
Yard Rat: 2 (Just ask Liv how Daddy broke his foot)
ha! i saw that squirrel when i walked up to your house while were in LNK!
Posted by: charity on January 5, 2007 10:20 PMI've had three bettas, and they're so cheap (I got mine for $2 at PetsMart) that I flushed mine at the end of school last May and bought a new one when I got home rather than tote it in a bag for 7 hours. So if Livia doesn't notice ... maybe swap it out with a less temperamental betta?
Posted by: Lindsey on January 6, 2007 01:07 AMTwo words: pellet gun.
Posted by: andy on January 6, 2007 10:48 AMOhhhh... pellet gun. Ohhhh... if I only had hands... I'd unleash my fury upon the rodents of the Cooper Park neighborhood. Yes I would.
Posted by: Jeremy on January 6, 2007 11:04 AMNow Andy, pellet guns might be acceptable on front porches in YOUR part of the US, but not here! ; )
Lindsey, I've been thinking about flushing the poor lame betta. But I feel kind of guilty about it... Silly, huh?! By the way, great work on the JPP! Everyone, run over to Lindsey's blog and check out her January Photo Project. Woohoo!
Posted by: RT on January 6, 2007 11:18 AMi think we can do without cracks on the south, huh?
Posted by: andrew on January 6, 2007 07:40 PMEmail me a pic of your front porch and then we'll talk, okay?
Posted by: RT on January 7, 2007 06:30 PMthe black-colored tree rats are starting to encroach in our neighborhood. there was an infestation of them in the neighborhoods across the five-lane arterial street north of us, but clearly they learned to use the tunnel under the street. unfortunately, it appears as though the gene for black fur is dominant and i've spotted a few black-furred tree rats with brown ticking. eew. i prefer heather brown tree rats and, occasionally, the grey ones, but the black ones are creepy...
...i wonder if i could have the humane society relocate them... maybe a few well-placed calls...
"help! there are rabid tree rats in the neighborhood... no... yes... no, ONLY the black ones... yes... BLACK... [sigh]... hello? hello? [click] [dial tone]"
Posted by: adam on January 8, 2007 08:31 AMI agree, the black ones look strange! We have them in the park across the street. Apparently they're kind of rare...?
Posted by: RT on January 8, 2007 10:12 AMDoesn't Cousin Eddy eat those things?
Posted by: Mike Wittmann on January 8, 2007 12:17 PMJeremy, what you need is The Quintessential Sentry Gun (http://tinyurl.com/pz93o -
video here: http://tinyurl.com/yfoj5k
). However, you might want to put up a warning sign for liability reasons.
okay, if tree rats bred by laying eggs that incubated their larvae inside the thorax of a host before bursting out in gruesome glory... ma-a-a-aybe...
...honestly, they do accept bribes... er, donations to their retirement fund -- see your local "sciuridae non secundus" union representative for more information. i'm sure they'll see you tickets to their charitable ball or something.
Posted by: adam on January 8, 2007 09:31 PMSweet idea Mike! If I can get one calibrated to squirrels I'd be set. Actually, bypassing the automation and using a remote control interface would be uber-cool. ;)
Posted by: Jeremy on January 9, 2007 09:19 AMthe problem is finding the proper host body, adam. you might want to check the cats when you get home.
Posted by: andrew on January 9, 2007 06:37 PM
