rhubarb, azalea and a betta fish

I had to move my small rhubarb plants, even though this is better done in spring than fall. They were in front of a water spigot which drips, and I have noticed the crew working on our house at the moment are not particularly careful about where they put things. I had to rescue some hostas from metal sheeting about to get dropped on them, and my native lilies got flattened by a pile of lumber. So this spigot is due to get fixed soon, and probably the rhubarb would get damaged. I wanted to move it anyway to the backyard spot that was supposed to be a shade garden but now gets more sun. And I just bought a coral-pink azalea to go in front of the spigot.

I dug up the rhubarb and moved it yesterday. With a handful of my best vermicompost, a few shovelfuls of garden soil (rearranging part of the garden beds too, that's for another post) and a thick blanket of leaves. One little leaf is perking up already.

Oliver did not make it through the night. He is now at rest under the rhubarb.

The spot in front of the spigot is empty now, the azalea is waiting in its pot.

Here is a picture of Oliver hiding under anubias leaf. It was taken about a month ago, when I had first noticed the parasite on his side.

Showing off his good side, when I was trying to get a closeup of the spot.

Final picture. I know it's kind of gruesome, but I sometimes take pictures of my fish when they are dead. It's a rare to get a closeup of their scale and color patterns. I was trying to focus on the irridescent blues and reds in his tail, but the paleness and bloat shows too well.