Just Keep Swimming!

First of all, goldfish are extremely hard to photograph. At least with my limited photography skills. Keep that in mind when viewing the photo included here...

Meet Nemo. Our one-fined, that's fin-ed, goldfish. He's the white guy in front and center. Look closer- see? No fins. Two and a half years ago, Beanie and her friend Miscellaneous went for walk. We don't live within walking distance of the beach. We don't live within walking distance of the mountains. We don't even live within walking distance of a forest, wood, or meadow. HOWEVER, we do live within walking distance of a big box retail shopping center. Getting out to be one with nature for these girls meant walking to Petsmart. Which they did. And brought home seventeen goldfish. Seventeen. Beanie, thinking things through in her usual fashion, meaning not at all, bought as many fish as her $1.80 would buy. If you have very strong feelings about the quality of life of goldfish, perhaps just close this tab now and forget I ever mentioned it. I understand that 17 goldfish is a lot of fish. About 17 too many for a 2 gallon fish tank. But that is what we had so that is where they went. All 17 of them. I am admittedly a softie when it comes to pets, but after years of hamsters, guinea pigs, parakeets, dogs, cats, hermit crabs, and now 17 fish, I just couldn't quite muster the same enthusiasm as Beanie. I honestly thought that these fish would most likely be temporary family members. And some were. But all this time later, I am still greeted every morning by six goldfish begging for breakfast. I think they learned it from the dogs. (Dogs who not only beg for breakfast, but LIE about being fed. Every morning they will sit on the rug by their food dishes, looking at me and saying, "DADDY FORGOT TO FEED US!" And every day I call the Canuck only to be told that the little lying canines not only ate their breakfast, they finished off his as well! I digress.) None of the fish have names save for one. Nemo. We don't know how or why, but Nemo lost most of his fins. It could be fin rot, it could be that one of his "buddies" bit them off, it could be that he got too close to the water filter. The crazy thing is, he doesn't seem to mind. Every morning, he gets as crazy excited at feeding time as the rest of the gang. His special needs don't slow him down at all and except for an occasional sideways swim, he gets around just fine. For all the times I rolled my eyes at Beanie for bringing home 17 fish, for all the times I shook my head while buying yet another can of fish food, for all the times I pulled the short straw and had to clean the fish tank, I can honestly say, I'm glad we have Nemo. He's not cute. He's not even gold. But he's one amazing little fish. Just keep swimming Nemo!