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This beta fish is incredible. It actually has personality! I found this glass container at AC Moore roughly 3 years ago for something like $6 and the plant at Bi-Lo for $4 and the fish for $3 or so. I thought Sarah would really enjoy it and she has.

I’d seen a cheap plastic version of this type of tank for $19.95 so for less money I put together a better quality fish bowl myself. I was told to expect the beta to live approximately 2 years if well cared for. I would not say that we always take the best care. For instance, I should have taken this picture 10 minutes later as the water is no longer as cloudy as it is in this picture. The fish is regularly fed and has lived nearly 3 years!

Frequently it is so still in the tank that Cathy and I have each announced “time for a new fish” but then we move the plant and it swims off. I do recall being told “it likes to hang out in the roots of plants.” I am sure it was resting peacefully and we probably scare some life out of it each time we do that but it is so hard not to check on the fish when it goes so long without moving!

A New Day!

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This Morning


The current state of The Tree on the morning of December 12, 2004. 

What needs to be done today?

• 120 hours programming on one project
• 12 hours documentation and setup on another project
• light tree
• paint room
• fix car
• fix garbage disposal This can wait.
• Go Christmas shopping
• Empty trailer and pickup furniture for inlaws
• Invoice for bio-dad

The dammed creek as seen from the dining room window. 

I’ve never seen it so high! The creek, visible just past the trampoline on the right side, has never been so high. I figure at that point it must be 3 or 4 feet (1m) deep but I’m probably exaggerating. Maybe its only 2 feet. 

Our first Christmas gifts are well received. The kids were thrilled (particularly with being given permission to open prior to Christmas). Cathy and I were overjoyed and pleasantly surprised! Many thanks! (I accidentally left the lip gloss and candy out of the picture) 

Our “lower lot”. The creek is 10 meters or so beyond the soccer goal. 

My neighbors car (across the creek). 7 years ago the county gave him 30 days to remove it from the property. 

The damn behind our house. Yes. That is a car door you are looking at so the elevation from the newly formed pond to the creek bed is 4-5 feet. 

Two creeks converge behind our house 

Good friends 

I finally got over my dereliction of duties and cleaned the cat litter, picked up after the dog, took the trash out, fed the outside cat and fed the birds (which will further feed the outside cat).

I enjoy the birds. Years ago when I was going through hard times and skipping meals to save money I still fed the birds. I used to have a baby hawk come everyday and land on one of the oak trees just to watch the airport frenzy of the bluebirds, chickadees, bluejays, squirrels, titmice, woodpeckers and more. Once a bluejay landed about 3 feed to the right of the hawk as if to say “you aren’t as bad as you think you are.” The hawk slowly turned its head for a brief glance and elegantly turned back to watching the frenzy. The message was “you aren’t really going to make me do this are you?” A few seconds later a subtle movement from the hawk in the bluejays direction and it flew off allowing the hawk to return to its birdwatching. Later that day I saw the hawk on the same branch holding the branch in one talon and a bluejay in the other. Again, just watching the birds.

Today as I filled the feeders a huge hawk circled over head in a zig zagging slow series of S’s. Either it was in the tree canopy or the tops of the trees were scrapping its belly. Beautiful bird! I threw out some peanuts thinking the squirrels will like these. One squawk from a bluejay and 20 others joined it to systematically ravish the horde of nuts.

In minutes a titmouse joined the feeding, a chickadee, a red bellied woodpecker, some ravens and the bluebirds of course. I am certain the chipmunk will be out today also.

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

My wife rocks!

That said this is going to be a bizarrely stressful weekend.

Google offers suggestions just incase you aren’t sure what to search for.

Amy, trying to get the dog off the couch: “Amy spot! Molly go to cage!”