25 February 2024

how's my Tucker

doing, fine. Better color now again-
though hard to get it in a photo (as usual) because he starts zooming back and forth when I'm near. So most pics a blur or simply backlit-
or he lurks in the large anubias corner. 
Got this decent pic from the short side of the tank.
Something's still going wrong when I do the water changes. I admit it had been too long between them again, and I had never done a very thorough cleaning since the time away on vacation. Yesterday attempted to remedy that- siphoned the gravel, but only on one side of the tank because thought I ought not overdo it and put him into shock.

But then I continued with trimming plants and decided to move a few, and cut down or pulled out all the rotalas in the back (a lot of them dying, looking shabby) and trimmed some bolbitis fern off the log, tied onto stones to put in the background, etc. It ended up being too much change. So I thought. Except, the fish looked relatively calm until I started pouring the new water in, then he clamped up, hung at the surface, barely moving, curving his body. Looked alarmingly like the symptoms my minnows died of.

Prime doesn't expire. Nitrates were low already. My best guesses are: the city is using chloramine or added excess chlorine (but Prime is supposed to nullify that anyway) or I released ammonia into the water column when pulling some plants up (but the fish looked okay at that point) or, the new water caused a pH jump. I think it's the latter. Must test before and after next time.

He looked shocky all that evening and I was worried. But this morning seems completely fine, so phew.

31 January 2024

our old man cat

went to his final rest yesterday. We miss him so much. 
He was a great cat. Super friendly, handsome and confident-
Loved to be with his people. He would sleep on your lap for hours. Keep you company if you were sick. Greet anybody walking by our house (unless they had a dog). This photo taken years ago by one of my kids with a toy camera.
When they weren't at my house for a week, he'd go around looking for them, and sleep on their beds. 
Same if my husband traveled.
His favorite foods were tuna, chicken heart, greenies, or anything he caught himself (except the chipmunks and voles). Squirrel, mouse, bird, rabbit . . .  Many apologies to the small wildlife on his behalf (though I don't think he was one bit sorry) I always did feel bad about that. 

Sadly, in his last few days had no interest in the tasty morsels we offered. (He could be picky, but in this case it was because he was ill).
He liked boxes.
Especially if somebody's clothes were in there
Great at relaxing (aren't all cats?)
Yes, look at all the pictures of my cat sleeping-
this pic from years ago when we had two cats (turned out he didn't like sharing his household with another feline) I always though it looked like he was going to melt off the chair-
He was a big fan of the outdoors, and a superlative hunter, as noted above. I won't show again the evidence of his skill.
Dear Irwin, we loved you so much. Best cat I've ever known.
 Nineteen and a half years of a very good life.

Bonus: video my husband took, playing "let's knock the pen off the desk" game. Which became annoying later- the cat would use this to get our attention if we ignored his demands, knocking all sorts of things off the counters in the kitchen! Now it's funny and endearing in memory.
(All the photos on here that you haven't seen before, were taken by my husband, one of my kids, or my stepson.)

12 December 2023

pink cactus

Several weeks ago I noticed my little zygo cactus had a bud. I thought it would bloom in time for Thanskgiving.
It's only just now opening up fully. Timing's kind of off, but still pretty!

29 November 2023

my paradise fish

I'd had concerns about him lately. He'd been off color (see end of this post), and then was suddenly darting away, hiding after taking a few bites of food. He refused flake and NLS pellets for a few days, then I offered him one of his favorites- frozen brine shrimp. A bite, and then he hid under the ceramic arch (a spot I never saw him go into before). Spent days either there or under the filter sponge, and often darted off to hide when I approached the tank or lifted the lid. I started to wonder was he ill? was the frozen food spoiled? did someone (a kid visited the house recently) rap on the glass with a finger and traumatize him? But then his color came back-
with such dashing around upon the sight of me that I could barely get him in focus again!
Mr. Fire-Tail (though not so glorious as then)
I started to think maybe it was the cold, with winter here and his tank unheated (but I keep the room temp just above his limit). However, returning from a weekend away when it was colder than ever, found him in good form- greeting me at the glass
and getting in the way when I wanted to get photos of how my crypt balansae are doing- I thought they might melt away from the shock of transfering in here and being in a coldwater tank. They're doing fine! Standing up straighter, and showing a few new leaves
Tucker's fin extensions are getting longer- I've been trying to keep up on water changes ever week even though one fish doesn't put much waste in the water, and make sure to use the gravel vac too (I finally bought a new one that fits the tank properly and it made such a difference) perhaps that has been what he needed- just his own space, and better care.
He gets a little spoiled now, being the only fish. Gets any carpet beetle I catch, or housefly, or mosquito. When we left for the holiday, I gave him two live worms as a treat. He gets really excited over that. I finally got a decent photo from the short end of the tank- in showing his colors, that is- the angle and composition are poor, but you can see the bright blue on edge of fins. So I think he's feeling good.
Bothers me that I still don't know what was off, though. The water quality? temperature? food? was he a bit ill or just had a mood swing. Who knows. 

12 November 2023

last acorns

I finally cracked the last gathered white oak acorns a few days ago.
They were all bad. Had been in a single layer in a basket that I agitated quite often, I didn't see any visible mold on the outsides, but once opened, those not insect infested or rotted to a powder, had this discoloration- starting to spoil.
Threw them all out. 
I'm still gathering a whole lot of pin oak acorns out of the yard, every few days, to dispose of on walks in the woods . . . where I think the animals have been eating them, because the last spot I dumped acorns, I found a pile of deer droppings this time. 
Well at least they were discovered by the wildlife, outside of my yard.

11 November 2023

Fred

There's only one plant in our household that has a name- the huge schefflera in the dining room window, that my husband had for years before we married. It's Fred (and we hang Christmas ornaments on him in Dec). After the chop, lots of leaves are turning yellow and falling off. I kind of expected that. Dismayed maybe I've harmed the plant, more than just a setback. But no fear- new tender young leaves are growing!

09 November 2023

I cut down

all the dead cardinal climber vines off the deck- after the first freeze they go from attractive with a bit of color change, to limp and slimy all at once. Couldn't help collecting the fallen seed off the deck, even though I don't really need to save any- there's still plenty in the original packet.