It being Summer and all, I should have plenty of opportunity to make stuff and vent my creative frustrations, but for some reason or other, I haven't. I've managed to throw together a few more pieces of PCB jewellery, and I made a sort of half-assed attempt at a strange frog toy, beloved of the SA forums. That's about it. I've got hold of a couple of books on making corsets, but it's going to be a lot harder to learn than I thought, so my procrastinating nature sort of wins over there. My latest project is a book based on a dream I had. It's going to take some doing, though.
Today, when Mister Jack wakes up, we are headed to Pittenweem for the week-long Arts Festival. I'm hoping to be inspired by the goings-on there, and perhaps post photos of our time there. It ought to be good fun :)
A few days after we get back, however, I am going to embark on what will probably be the most terrifying thing I've ever done. I still don't know if I will get into Honours for my degree or not, but on the offchance that I do, the annual Summer school for Gaelic is compulsory. We're talking three weeks of what appears to be intensive Gaelic-medium classes and Gaelic-based social activities, all day, every day, until they allow us back to our rooms to cry (at least in my case). I loathe people who don't make the effort to speak the language when they're in the country, but in this case you have to understand my position. I have two options here: go to Lewis and possibly get a worthwhile (Honours) degree, or don't go and get a degree that nobody will really look twice at on my CV. It's sort of necessary. Not to sound whiny, but I'm a nervous person at the best of times, and I'm really only familiar with one other person going (we're assigned to completely different sleeping quarters, surprise surprise) so this is going to be something of an experience. Whilst I'm sure it can't be as bad as I think it will, I am scared silly.
On the other hand, I think it counts as an Adventure, so if I can get hold of a laptop by then, you'll be hearing more about it, and perhaps that'll ease the pressure for me.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Delicious Treats For All!
I'm back online, and hopefully there will be more and interesting posts to come in the near future! Now that I've come to terms with the loss of my fishes, I've found some new adventures to tide myself over until I get the tank up and running again. At the moment I'm window-shopping online for plants and bits of wood. Ayup.
But now, let us delve into the world of something I like to categorise as Culinary Sculpture. To me, this is pretty much just making food into things that don't look like food. I do have one very special project that I may or may not link to this blog - I do so love to brag about my achievements, but it's sort of already all over the internet anyway, so you may even have seen it. Instead I will start this small group of adventures off with a quick look at Kae-Sa-Luk: the art of Thai fruit and vegetable carving.
It's pretty much as it sounds - carving fruit and vegetable. It's an art that originated in Thailand in 1364, and became very popular over the years, although they didn't seem to write any books on the subject. I came across Pam Maneeratana's instructional videos on 5min, but they seem to be quite widespread on the net. She was trained by a teacher who studied Kae-Sa-Luk at the Royal Palace, and as such...well, she's pretty damn good at it. The website is just a teeny bit out of date, but there's a gallery to give you an idea of the sort of thing we're looking at here. I had been meaning to have a go for months now, but watermelons just weren't in season when I discovered this. I did however buy a fruit-carving knife on eBay, and practised on...er...potatoes.
The picture is terrible, but you get the idea. I think I did pretty well, considering I hadn't received my knife yet and it was a potato I was using. Fortunately, I recently managed to get a hold of a watermelon! And although in my excitement to get carving I didn't think to take step-by-step pictures, here's one of the hundreds of pictures of the finished article!
Again, not brilliant, but for a first try it looks pretty neat. I will most likely get better with practise. It is my intention to make another sometime soon, but the big issue with watermelon carving is that they're not cheap, and so you really have to like eating them. I do, fortunately, like the taste of watermelon, but not a whole one all on its own. As such, this particular melon was hacked to bits and became three upside-down cakes, one large tray of watermelon sorbet, a jar of possibly-inedible rind pickle, and a big bowl of leftover watermelon. It's not easy to think of uses for it! The cake was delicious, though, and if I thought I could store large quantities of it without it going off I'd just make that. The sorbet was nothing special, and it just takes up room in the freezer - room which we really don't have. I might have a go at using some other fruits or vegetables in the near future, and probably some other designs too. I shall keep posting them!
But now, let us delve into the world of something I like to categorise as Culinary Sculpture. To me, this is pretty much just making food into things that don't look like food. I do have one very special project that I may or may not link to this blog - I do so love to brag about my achievements, but it's sort of already all over the internet anyway, so you may even have seen it. Instead I will start this small group of adventures off with a quick look at Kae-Sa-Luk: the art of Thai fruit and vegetable carving.
It's pretty much as it sounds - carving fruit and vegetable. It's an art that originated in Thailand in 1364, and became very popular over the years, although they didn't seem to write any books on the subject. I came across Pam Maneeratana's instructional videos on 5min, but they seem to be quite widespread on the net. She was trained by a teacher who studied Kae-Sa-Luk at the Royal Palace, and as such...well, she's pretty damn good at it. The website is just a teeny bit out of date, but there's a gallery to give you an idea of the sort of thing we're looking at here. I had been meaning to have a go for months now, but watermelons just weren't in season when I discovered this. I did however buy a fruit-carving knife on eBay, and practised on...er...potatoes.
The picture is terrible, but you get the idea. I think I did pretty well, considering I hadn't received my knife yet and it was a potato I was using. Fortunately, I recently managed to get a hold of a watermelon! And although in my excitement to get carving I didn't think to take step-by-step pictures, here's one of the hundreds of pictures of the finished article!
Again, not brilliant, but for a first try it looks pretty neat. I will most likely get better with practise. It is my intention to make another sometime soon, but the big issue with watermelon carving is that they're not cheap, and so you really have to like eating them. I do, fortunately, like the taste of watermelon, but not a whole one all on its own. As such, this particular melon was hacked to bits and became three upside-down cakes, one large tray of watermelon sorbet, a jar of possibly-inedible rind pickle, and a big bowl of leftover watermelon. It's not easy to think of uses for it! The cake was delicious, though, and if I thought I could store large quantities of it without it going off I'd just make that. The sorbet was nothing special, and it just takes up room in the freezer - room which we really don't have. I might have a go at using some other fruits or vegetables in the near future, and probably some other designs too. I shall keep posting them!
Thursday, 4 June 2009
More Bad News
Well, I'm afraid the situation did not improve, and this morning I woke up to find Fairbit in much the same state as Speckle had been. Just like that, with no prior symptoms. So a couple of hours ago I checked online to see if there was anything else I could do, but Fairbit just got worse as the day progressed and I've had to euthanise him. There's no way to describe how horrible that feels, even though it's "just" a goldfish. I can't help but wonder if it was the right thing to do, even though logically I know it was.
I found an article through FK that told me that the most humane method was with clove oil, which you can buy in the chemist for toothache. Using a lethal dosage of it (50 drops per gallon) you can anaesthatise the fish and it just won't wake up. I like that it's a calm and quiet way to go.
Anyway, I'm not going to talk more about it, but that's the end of my goldfish tank. I may go tropical when I get around to it, but it's going to be a while. Got to cycle the tank and all sorts before I can even think about more fish. In the meantime, I'll find some other adventures to have - ones that won't end up depressing me at the end of the exam period. I have a couple of pretty interesting kitcheny-type projects to post, so maybe I'll do that for a while. Sorry for the bad news though folks.
I found an article through FK that told me that the most humane method was with clove oil, which you can buy in the chemist for toothache. Using a lethal dosage of it (50 drops per gallon) you can anaesthatise the fish and it just won't wake up. I like that it's a calm and quiet way to go.
Anyway, I'm not going to talk more about it, but that's the end of my goldfish tank. I may go tropical when I get around to it, but it's going to be a while. Got to cycle the tank and all sorts before I can even think about more fish. In the meantime, I'll find some other adventures to have - ones that won't end up depressing me at the end of the exam period. I have a couple of pretty interesting kitcheny-type projects to post, so maybe I'll do that for a while. Sorry for the bad news though folks.
Tuesday, 2 June 2009
Bad News
This morning I woke up to find Speckle in a terrible state. He was drifting around on the bottom of the tank, covered in bubbles and some kind of white substance, and barely able to swim when he did try. Unfortunately I had to leave to go to an exam, but I left Mister Jack in charge, and he asked the FK forums and did some research on what the cause might be. At the moment we're fairly sure it's an advanced white spot, but there had been no symptoms until this morning. FK has not yet given me a definitive answer, though they think it could also be a bacterial or fungal infection. Mister Jack started a course of white spot treatment on my recommendation, just in case, but sadly I came home to find Speckle had died. I'm more than a little upset, and readers: it hurts a hell of a lot more when you're 21 than when you're 6. I know that it was probably caused by some shortcoming on my part, and I'm extremely aware that Speckle suffered horribly in his last hours. All I can do now is take care of Fairbit - who as yet has shown no symptoms so this may or may not be a good sign - and do my best to keep him healthy. I'll continue the white spot treatment, because the bottle says it can be used as a preventative as well as a cure; I may end up treating for bacterial or fungal infections and I'll keep an even closer eye on the tank chemistry. I've also "installed" an external thermometer, because this whole thing will see the beginning of an era where I'm totally anal about taking care of my fish.
In any case, I'm sorry to have to report such bad news. I'm just glad Speckle isn't suffering any more.
In any case, I'm sorry to have to report such bad news. I'm just glad Speckle isn't suffering any more.
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Bubbles!
Today saw a radical change in the appearance of the tank, and the weight of my wallet. I had been meaning to get an aerator for the tank for a while, because Fairbit loves bubbles, I love bubbles, everyone loves bubbles... So when I had to get pH-up from P@H today, I sort of got carried away. The good news of course, is that now I have some more bits. I've got a bigger gravel siphon, because the mini one was somewhat impotent; another bottle of de-chlorinator; another bottle of Stress-Coat aquarium bacteria (whether it works properly or not, it will put my mind a little more at ease concerning the ammonia); a bottle of pH-up, and a blue light-up aerator.
So. My water tests are still showing too-high ammonia and nitrAtes (probably as a result of the ammonia) and too-low pH. Let's deal with the pH first. Low range pH indicates that the water is acidic. Goldfish need a neutral pH (7.5 or so) and unfortunately I've tested the tapwater and found it to be about 6.4. pH-up is an alkali-buffer, and the bottle suggests unspecified regular doses to fix my situation, interspersed with regular tests to confirm it's working. My first test today was off the scale. I am guessing that the ammonia problem and the barely-cycled tank are the main issue here. First dose of pH-up made little or no visible difference. Second dose brought me back up to 6.4 and I intend to test again after this post. The only trouble is that too quick a change in pH might have adverse effects on the fish, so I need to be careful and slow doing this. I will keep you posted.
Next is the ammonia issue, still rearing its ugly head. Ammonia levels have been sitting at around 1.0 (possibly a little lower, but the test kit can't be more accurate than that) and I've been doing water changes (which is mucking up my pH treatment no end) and added some more aquarium bacteria. I'm thinking that the tank still hasn't cycled properly and so the bacteria in the filter haven't properly developed yet. If I'm right, then as soon as it finishes cycling, the ammonia problem should all but go away. Just to clarify, this is my own fault, and I know it, but I'm doing what I can to fix it.
Ok, so now for the aerator. I noticed this morning a very faint red blood vessel on Fairbit's tail, and I've read enough to know not to ignore that. I've scoured the internet, and the most common cause seems to be lack of oxygen, which darkens the blood. Further reading led me to believe that the oxygen flow in my tank hasn't really been sufficient thus far. The spray bar on the filter disturbs the water, and makes bubbles, but not a heck of a lot, and most of the successful coldwater aquarists had an air-pump on top of that anyway. So I finally relented and I've bought the aerator I'd been eyeing since Day 1. It's a neat little device that churns bubbles up into the tank. Unfortunately P@H didn't have the correct-sized one for my tank, so I've had to shell out a little extra for one with a light attachment. Not a bad thing, necessarily, because I've been using the aquarium light a little too much, and the soft blue light from the aerator is a good substitute in the evenings without keeping the fish in too light an environment. It was a bit of a fiddle to set up, but here's a picture of the tank re-decorated.
Got a new background in there, another plant for sheltering purposes, and the new aerator, bubbling away at the back there. The device itself is a little unsightly, but it's my intention to get some rock or something (from the beach, and yes, I'll scrub all the nature off it) to at least block it from view. Fairbit has quickly got used to the new toy, although Speckle still seems to prefer to hoover. He now has the means to do so without being watched, as well. They're always so friendly when they see you coming, but the moment they realise I actually want to look at or photograph them, they swim off.
On a last note, I have been researching shrimp and snails. It is my estimate from what I've read that I may be able to get 5 or so shrimp or 3-4 snails in the little tank, plus plants, though I will ask FK about this before going ahead with anything. Obviously I'm also going to cycle this tank first unlike last time, because it would be foolish to make the same mistake twice. The only thing that's left to do before I start being pro-active is to research plants, because there are loads of aquarium plants and I have no idea which ones would be best for my planned tank. This is all going to lead to further expense, so I'm going to have to be careful here. In the mean time, let's se if I can deal with the problems still facing me with the goldfish, eh?
So. My water tests are still showing too-high ammonia and nitrAtes (probably as a result of the ammonia) and too-low pH. Let's deal with the pH first. Low range pH indicates that the water is acidic. Goldfish need a neutral pH (7.5 or so) and unfortunately I've tested the tapwater and found it to be about 6.4. pH-up is an alkali-buffer, and the bottle suggests unspecified regular doses to fix my situation, interspersed with regular tests to confirm it's working. My first test today was off the scale. I am guessing that the ammonia problem and the barely-cycled tank are the main issue here. First dose of pH-up made little or no visible difference. Second dose brought me back up to 6.4 and I intend to test again after this post. The only trouble is that too quick a change in pH might have adverse effects on the fish, so I need to be careful and slow doing this. I will keep you posted.
Next is the ammonia issue, still rearing its ugly head. Ammonia levels have been sitting at around 1.0 (possibly a little lower, but the test kit can't be more accurate than that) and I've been doing water changes (which is mucking up my pH treatment no end) and added some more aquarium bacteria. I'm thinking that the tank still hasn't cycled properly and so the bacteria in the filter haven't properly developed yet. If I'm right, then as soon as it finishes cycling, the ammonia problem should all but go away. Just to clarify, this is my own fault, and I know it, but I'm doing what I can to fix it.
Ok, so now for the aerator. I noticed this morning a very faint red blood vessel on Fairbit's tail, and I've read enough to know not to ignore that. I've scoured the internet, and the most common cause seems to be lack of oxygen, which darkens the blood. Further reading led me to believe that the oxygen flow in my tank hasn't really been sufficient thus far. The spray bar on the filter disturbs the water, and makes bubbles, but not a heck of a lot, and most of the successful coldwater aquarists had an air-pump on top of that anyway. So I finally relented and I've bought the aerator I'd been eyeing since Day 1. It's a neat little device that churns bubbles up into the tank. Unfortunately P@H didn't have the correct-sized one for my tank, so I've had to shell out a little extra for one with a light attachment. Not a bad thing, necessarily, because I've been using the aquarium light a little too much, and the soft blue light from the aerator is a good substitute in the evenings without keeping the fish in too light an environment. It was a bit of a fiddle to set up, but here's a picture of the tank re-decorated.
Got a new background in there, another plant for sheltering purposes, and the new aerator, bubbling away at the back there. The device itself is a little unsightly, but it's my intention to get some rock or something (from the beach, and yes, I'll scrub all the nature off it) to at least block it from view. Fairbit has quickly got used to the new toy, although Speckle still seems to prefer to hoover. He now has the means to do so without being watched, as well. They're always so friendly when they see you coming, but the moment they realise I actually want to look at or photograph them, they swim off.
On a last note, I have been researching shrimp and snails. It is my estimate from what I've read that I may be able to get 5 or so shrimp or 3-4 snails in the little tank, plus plants, though I will ask FK about this before going ahead with anything. Obviously I'm also going to cycle this tank first unlike last time, because it would be foolish to make the same mistake twice. The only thing that's left to do before I start being pro-active is to research plants, because there are loads of aquarium plants and I have no idea which ones would be best for my planned tank. This is all going to lead to further expense, so I'm going to have to be careful here. In the mean time, let's se if I can deal with the problems still facing me with the goldfish, eh?
Friday, 22 May 2009
Harmless Addictions
Last post I mentioned a frighteningly high concentration of ammonia in the tank - we were talking 8.0ppm plus, and that's just...really not good. I'd like to update you on the matter, because whilst it has not been totally resolved yet, it has improved drastically. I researched some products and discovered that the Ammo-Lock I was using (and have run out of) actually only mucks up the test readings and makes everything that much harder. I found a so-called Ammonia Remover, which apparently does more than just "lock away" the ammonia in the tank. I could have it all wrong, of course, but I've dosed the tank twice now, and the ammonia levels have come waaay down. Last I checked we're sitting at 1.0ppm. This is still not good enough, but I'm sure you'll agree it's much better than what I had, provided this stuff does what it says on the bottle. The fish are also on a 36hr fast in hopes that this will help too. Speckle is a little hoover, so even when there is no food around, he still seems to be over-eating. Next tank-clean is due tomorrow so I will see what's what when that's finished.
D'aww...
The two of them have really settled into their tank. I did worry, especially because (and I'm naming no names here!) Speckle's bag ended up falling three feet onto the kitchen floor on the day I got him, and he was transferred between three tanks in one day. He seems to be absolutely fine though, and has evened up with Fairbit in terms of size. He likes to hoover the gravel, which is probably where he's getting all his extra food from, because I really have cut back on the flakes. Fairbit is in love with the new filter and spends a lot of his time playing in the spray bar bubbles. He's also discovered that he can swim right over the top of the filter and just sit there. Last water change I poured the new water into the empty end of the tank so I wouldn't bother the fish, and Fairbit decided that it would be a good idea to swim directly under the pouring water, and he got rather thrown around. Again, he seems fine, as that was a while ago. I check daily (paranoia - it happens to the best of us) for any signs of disease, and thus far I haven't even seen a recurrence of white spot, which surprised and delighted me. They're quite happy and active and apparently very understanding of my shortcomings.
Now! I have been taking into consideration the 29L tank I now have sitting empty and alone in the living room, and what to do with it. It has been suggested that I put it onto Freecycle and give it away, but I'm not totally happy about doing that because I'm a materialistic sod and somewhat addicted to the idea of aquariums. I was quite determined to put something in it so I've asked the folks at FK and got some ideas. Now bear in mind my landlord would object to anything other than an aquarium, so millipedes and tarantulas and the like are totally out of the question. As I expected, I can't keep fish in it, but I can keep plants and some small invertebrates. It is my intention to do some more research into this, and set up a shrimp tank, or possibly get some pretty coloured apple snails. The plants will be good fun to play about with, and the whole thing should be an interesting experience. Sadly my first priority is the goldfish tank I have right now, but now that I have a goal, I'll get to it! This could be the start of another adventure - watch this space!
D'aww...
The two of them have really settled into their tank. I did worry, especially because (and I'm naming no names here!) Speckle's bag ended up falling three feet onto the kitchen floor on the day I got him, and he was transferred between three tanks in one day. He seems to be absolutely fine though, and has evened up with Fairbit in terms of size. He likes to hoover the gravel, which is probably where he's getting all his extra food from, because I really have cut back on the flakes. Fairbit is in love with the new filter and spends a lot of his time playing in the spray bar bubbles. He's also discovered that he can swim right over the top of the filter and just sit there. Last water change I poured the new water into the empty end of the tank so I wouldn't bother the fish, and Fairbit decided that it would be a good idea to swim directly under the pouring water, and he got rather thrown around. Again, he seems fine, as that was a while ago. I check daily (paranoia - it happens to the best of us) for any signs of disease, and thus far I haven't even seen a recurrence of white spot, which surprised and delighted me. They're quite happy and active and apparently very understanding of my shortcomings.
Now! I have been taking into consideration the 29L tank I now have sitting empty and alone in the living room, and what to do with it. It has been suggested that I put it onto Freecycle and give it away, but I'm not totally happy about doing that because I'm a materialistic sod and somewhat addicted to the idea of aquariums. I was quite determined to put something in it so I've asked the folks at FK and got some ideas. Now bear in mind my landlord would object to anything other than an aquarium, so millipedes and tarantulas and the like are totally out of the question. As I expected, I can't keep fish in it, but I can keep plants and some small invertebrates. It is my intention to do some more research into this, and set up a shrimp tank, or possibly get some pretty coloured apple snails. The plants will be good fun to play about with, and the whole thing should be an interesting experience. Sadly my first priority is the goldfish tank I have right now, but now that I have a goal, I'll get to it! This could be the start of another adventure - watch this space!
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Obesity in Fish
So yeah...despite having reduced the amount of food I was giving to Fairbit, and giving this exact amount to what is now two fish, I still appear to be overfeeding them. You can tell by the trail of poop they sometimes have hanging out the back. This, in fairness, hasn't happened often, and I have seen it much worse in other fish, so I can still drop the amount and keep them from getting sick. Or fat. The trouble is that this is obviously going to affect the ammonia levels in the tank, which is very, very bad.
I bought me a new testing kit for the water:
Oh it's ever so fancy, with pretty colours and the kind of fun activities that made high school chemistry bearable. This kit tests for high and low level pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The next part of the post would be a series of pictures to detail the tests and so on, but no matter what I tried, the camera flushed all the colour out of the paler liquids in the pictures, so there's no point. I'll give you a quick summary of my results:
Nitrites: 0ppm (this should be 0ppm, in fact, so hooray!)
Nitrates: 5ppm (this should be 0ppm also, so not so hooray...)
pH: 6.8/7.0 (ideally should be 7.5 or so, but this is easily fixed)
Ammonia: 8ppm or possibly more (should be 0ppm, so that's very bad)
After testing I cleaned the tank as normal, and I probably should have left the testing until afterwards, so I will remember to do that next time. The excess of ammonia in the tank can be caused by a lot of things. First of all, my tank wasn't properly cycled when I put fish in it, so that may still be an issue in terms of filtration. Secondly, I still appear to be overfeeding, and the extra food and the extra fish waste are going to push the ppm up considerably. Solution: water changes and reduction of food. Done! We shall see how the tests look next week, and deal with any more problems that may come up.
Now here's the good bit. When I was upsizing the tank, I realised that Fairbit was going to be all alone in a bloody huge empty tank. Now, I've read a lot of articles reassuring newbies that the fish may look small in the big tank, but will soon grow to fill it. Fair enough. My problem was that everywhere I read from also said that goldfish are social and prefer company. Predicament. Of course, my judgement coupled with the reading I've done says my new tank is big enough for two fancy goldfish, so I decided to get Fairbit a friend before he got too big for the juveniles on offer in the shop. He has grown! So I bought Speckle.
He (?) was sold as a calico oranda, but I'm not convinced on account of his complete lack of headgear. Whereas Fairbit is round and has a lump on his head, Speckle is more fish-shaped. I'm pretty sure he's just a regular ol' fantail, but! Isn't he purty? I find that picture to be quite surreal. It's almost like you can't tell there's water in there, and he's floating. So yeah, this is Fairbit's new buddy, and after a wee bit of hen-pecking, they get on just fine now.
Frendz 4evar! ...ahem.
I bought me a new testing kit for the water:
Oh it's ever so fancy, with pretty colours and the kind of fun activities that made high school chemistry bearable. This kit tests for high and low level pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The next part of the post would be a series of pictures to detail the tests and so on, but no matter what I tried, the camera flushed all the colour out of the paler liquids in the pictures, so there's no point. I'll give you a quick summary of my results:
Nitrites: 0ppm (this should be 0ppm, in fact, so hooray!)
Nitrates: 5ppm (this should be 0ppm also, so not so hooray...)
pH: 6.8/7.0 (ideally should be 7.5 or so, but this is easily fixed)
Ammonia: 8ppm or possibly more (should be 0ppm, so that's very bad)
After testing I cleaned the tank as normal, and I probably should have left the testing until afterwards, so I will remember to do that next time. The excess of ammonia in the tank can be caused by a lot of things. First of all, my tank wasn't properly cycled when I put fish in it, so that may still be an issue in terms of filtration. Secondly, I still appear to be overfeeding, and the extra food and the extra fish waste are going to push the ppm up considerably. Solution: water changes and reduction of food. Done! We shall see how the tests look next week, and deal with any more problems that may come up.
Now here's the good bit. When I was upsizing the tank, I realised that Fairbit was going to be all alone in a bloody huge empty tank. Now, I've read a lot of articles reassuring newbies that the fish may look small in the big tank, but will soon grow to fill it. Fair enough. My problem was that everywhere I read from also said that goldfish are social and prefer company. Predicament. Of course, my judgement coupled with the reading I've done says my new tank is big enough for two fancy goldfish, so I decided to get Fairbit a friend before he got too big for the juveniles on offer in the shop. He has grown! So I bought Speckle.
He (?) was sold as a calico oranda, but I'm not convinced on account of his complete lack of headgear. Whereas Fairbit is round and has a lump on his head, Speckle is more fish-shaped. I'm pretty sure he's just a regular ol' fantail, but! Isn't he purty? I find that picture to be quite surreal. It's almost like you can't tell there's water in there, and he's floating. So yeah, this is Fairbit's new buddy, and after a wee bit of hen-pecking, they get on just fine now.
Frendz 4evar! ...ahem.
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