RIP George

Well, apparently clean water is toxic to fair-freak goldfish.  As you may recall, I lost Weezy almost two weeks ago after a tank cleaning.  George was despondent, but managed to soldier on, although he never let go.

Yesterday, it was again tank cleaning time.  I did the same thing I have been doing for almost two years.  Since I won the freaks at the Dixie Classic Fair and named them George and Weezy cause they were “moving on up!”  But alas, after the tank was clean, George was no more.    Some things you just can’t change.  I don’t think I could handle more fish right now.  For me, the grief is still to near.

I buried George, after saying how sorry I was, under my swamp hibiscus.  Which I have managed to NOT kill by the way!  How is that for a switch.  I kill the fish and manage to keep the plant alive.  But his sacrifice will not have been in vain.

RIP George.

PS:  Gold stars and a shout out for anyone that can catch the movie references in this post.  There are at least 4.  If there are more than that, they weren’t on purpose.

RIP Weezy

Every October, the Dixie Classic Fair comes to town.  Michael likes to go for the food.  I go for the games and the farm animals.  My favorite game is the one where you throw the ping-pong ball into the fishbowl.  I am good at that game.  No, I am excellent at that game.  And I win prizes.  The prizes are goldfish!  Usually, I give the fish away. To some kid that doesn’t have any prize of their own.  But in 2009, I decided to keep the fish.

Meet George and Weezy.  Named such because they are fair fish and “moving on up.”  I am not sure why I decided to keep these particular fish. But the fish I won for $1 ended up costing us over $40 at PetsMart (for supplies) and more time and energy than I had really wanted to dedicate to a couple of fish.  But I had taken on the responsibility and refused to do anything but give them the very best of care and lifestyle.

Yesterday, I cleaned their (disgusting) tank as I normally do once a week or so.  I cleaned their filter and aerator (not show here, added later), the water, etc.  Everything done exactly the way I have been doing it for almost 2 years.  And yet last night, I went in to turn off their light and Weezy had left us.  She had grown quite large (of course) and flushing was not really an option.  We learned that the hard way with an algae eater earlier this year.

So this morning, as Michael puts out the trash, he will say a few kind words (I have none) for Weezy the Fair Fish.  May she rest in peace.