The weather in Austin has finally changed. We have had a few rainstorms. We have had a frost. The ground in moist and we have a bit of green everywhere. Not to say that the heat has passed, though. We are still reaching the 80's during most days and sometimes I don't know whether we will need the Air Conditioning or the heater that day.
I was hoping that the change of weather would bring a slew of frogs to the pond. I was hoping that all those frogs that had gone underground during the drought and the heat wave would dig themselves out and start partying at the pond. Alas, that has not happened. I still see Cleopatra, but she is so very shy and the pond has been sadly still of frog activity or song in the evenings. I think that we have lost a lot of frogs in the drought and that makes me very sad. The fish have been very shy, too; I think they have seen predators because Marge hid from me when I came to visit today. I haven't seen any snakes, though, although I sometimes dream of them. We will be feeling the effects of this drought for many years to come.
Today, my husband asked me if I wanted to know if he came upon a dead frog in the driveway. He asked me whether I would want to see and take care of it on my own, or whether I would want him to take care of it. I asked him to take care of it, but now I feel guilty. I wanted to know which frog this was. I probably knew him. It was probably a toad. It was probably one of the two silly toads I kept having to chase off the driveway. How could I have squished a frog yesterday? Normally, I keep a close watch when I drive in. But I was the last one in and I know I was driving too fast. I know my husband probably just threw the flattened toad into the trash. But -- I should have buried him. I should have said a few words and wished him or her well into the next adventure, whatever that may be for a silly toad. Send him some thoughts, if you will, so that if he gets a "next time", he might stay off the road; so that he would not be so lucky to have survived the worst drought and heat wave in Texas history - just to be mowed down by a Honda. Sigh.
But - change happens. It happens whether you are ready for it or not. Life moves on. I have been acutely aware that my lovely goldfish, the ones that started out as tiny .19 feeder fish from Petco, have become little monsters. Marge is over 4 inches long and George is almost as big. They have gone from cheap carnival goldfish to mini-Koi.
I have tried to block it from my mind, but I know that they eat tadpoles. I also know that they are a target for predators and they really need to be moved from their pond. For months I have been scouring Craigslist for the perfect habitat for them - a huge fishtank. I was told that goldfish, due to their generally filthy nature, need ten gallons for every inch of fish. This means I was looking for a tank of about 75 gallons. Truthfully, I had no idea what that looked like until I answered an ad from someone who was selling the whole setup for only $100 - tank, filter, stand, extra charcoal - everything I needed. When I went to look at it, it floored me. A 75 gallon tank is HUGE!
Seriously, this monstrosity is going to fill up half a room for two fish. The two of us could barely lift it when it was empty of water.
This weekend, I had planned to clean the tank, fill it and get them situated. Still don't know whether I will keep the tank outside on the porch or bring it into my office. New life for Marge and George! I hope they enjoy it. Now, they will be safe little indoor fishies. Hmmm. I hope I am doing the right thing by them. They won't get to visit with any frogs anymore, nor will they get to eat tadpoles or survive on just algae. They won't hide from the birds or snakes or other creatures who have considered them snacks. I will feed them proper goldfish food and they will become docile indoor creatures. I am hoping to move across country and hope to take them with me in a giant bucket, where they will be California fish and maybe live in a pond outside in the San Francisco Bay Area where I will battle raccoons and other California varmints.
I was hoping that the change of weather would bring a slew of frogs to the pond. I was hoping that all those frogs that had gone underground during the drought and the heat wave would dig themselves out and start partying at the pond. Alas, that has not happened. I still see Cleopatra, but she is so very shy and the pond has been sadly still of frog activity or song in the evenings. I think that we have lost a lot of frogs in the drought and that makes me very sad. The fish have been very shy, too; I think they have seen predators because Marge hid from me when I came to visit today. I haven't seen any snakes, though, although I sometimes dream of them. We will be feeling the effects of this drought for many years to come.
Today, my husband asked me if I wanted to know if he came upon a dead frog in the driveway. He asked me whether I would want to see and take care of it on my own, or whether I would want him to take care of it. I asked him to take care of it, but now I feel guilty. I wanted to know which frog this was. I probably knew him. It was probably a toad. It was probably one of the two silly toads I kept having to chase off the driveway. How could I have squished a frog yesterday? Normally, I keep a close watch when I drive in. But I was the last one in and I know I was driving too fast. I know my husband probably just threw the flattened toad into the trash. But -- I should have buried him. I should have said a few words and wished him or her well into the next adventure, whatever that may be for a silly toad. Send him some thoughts, if you will, so that if he gets a "next time", he might stay off the road; so that he would not be so lucky to have survived the worst drought and heat wave in Texas history - just to be mowed down by a Honda. Sigh.
But - change happens. It happens whether you are ready for it or not. Life moves on. I have been acutely aware that my lovely goldfish, the ones that started out as tiny .19 feeder fish from Petco, have become little monsters. Marge is over 4 inches long and George is almost as big. They have gone from cheap carnival goldfish to mini-Koi.
I have tried to block it from my mind, but I know that they eat tadpoles. I also know that they are a target for predators and they really need to be moved from their pond. For months I have been scouring Craigslist for the perfect habitat for them - a huge fishtank. I was told that goldfish, due to their generally filthy nature, need ten gallons for every inch of fish. This means I was looking for a tank of about 75 gallons. Truthfully, I had no idea what that looked like until I answered an ad from someone who was selling the whole setup for only $100 - tank, filter, stand, extra charcoal - everything I needed. When I went to look at it, it floored me. A 75 gallon tank is HUGE!
This weekend, I had planned to clean the tank, fill it and get them situated. Still don't know whether I will keep the tank outside on the porch or bring it into my office. New life for Marge and George! I hope they enjoy it. Now, they will be safe little indoor fishies. Hmmm. I hope I am doing the right thing by them. They won't get to visit with any frogs anymore, nor will they get to eat tadpoles or survive on just algae. They won't hide from the birds or snakes or other creatures who have considered them snacks. I will feed them proper goldfish food and they will become docile indoor creatures. I am hoping to move across country and hope to take them with me in a giant bucket, where they will be California fish and maybe live in a pond outside in the San Francisco Bay Area where I will battle raccoons and other California varmints.
