Lets talk betta’s

On a whim, quite a few years back, I decided I’d take a stab at being a fish owner.  I didn’t want anything too fancy or too high maintenance, just a regular ole fresh water fish.  I decided on a pretty aqua blue betta and called him Fishie (not very creative I know, but it worked).  

Fishie and I were pretty close (well, as close as one can be w/a fish).  And I managed to keep him alive for over 5 years which is pretty rare in the betta world.  We went through break ups together, changed apartments together, drank beers together and I even had a regular fish-sitter for him whenever I’d take off for any length of time.

I had recently been toying with the idea of taking on another betta, and as of today there is a new addition to the 28 Olive household.  S/he is a half mooned twin fin betta, a beautiful red color and goes by the name Ruby.  Ruby has ditched her old plastic dish and lid, and now resides in a giant brandy snifter.  She’s rocking a cool Buddha ornament and some cheesy plastic plants for decorations, and as far as I can tell she seems to be digging her new pad.

I don’t really know what to expect w/Ruby.  I certainly don’t think she will live as long as Fishie did, and I know for a fact that she wont have to witness all the shenanigans that Fishie endured in my younger years.  But I am definitely excited to welcome Ruby as the newest member of the fam.

I’m headed to Ireland in a couple weeks, for a couple weeks, so I really need to get crackin on the fish-sitter sitch.  My previous fish-sitter is still living in San Diego... so, any volunteers??  8-10 pellets, two times a day and I will bring Ruby to you.  It doesn’t get much easier than that :)

Spectacular 4th...

Well the dog days of summer have begun.  Welcome are the days of extreme heat and high humidity during the day, with just a tad less heat and humidity during the evening.  But not to fear, there are plenty of ways to stay cool around here in the summer.  If your not lucky enough to have your own pool (which I’m not), then hopefully you have a friend that does.  Even still, there are a gazillion rivers, streams and lakes to choose from; all beautiful, all refreshing and all a ton of fun.

And fun is the only way to describe this past 4^th of July weekend.  I headed up to my old stomping grounds in Portland Me.  I stayed with my friend Christian and as luck would have it, many of his friends/families own camps on various lakes in the region.  We spent four whole days lake hopping, boat hopping, raft hopping and floatie hopping…. literally eating, drinking and swimming our way through the weekend.  It was awesome!

The actual Fourth of July was particularly impressive.  Fireworks just became legal in the state of Maine, so what was usually an occasional rocket being launched in the air, was transformed into a breathtaking ooh and awe fest.  Without having to worry about getting in trouble, people across the lake spared no expense when it came to showing off their own entertainment.

Christian’s friend Richard was one of these people.  I don’t even want to know the dollar amount spent on his display, but it was fantastic.  On a neighboring “observation deck” and out of harms way, about 30 of us gathered to watch.  We could see the boxes being lit at the end of the doc down below, and off they would launch, high into the summer sky… whistles and booms and colors galore.  And just like an old pro, it was choreographed from least impressive, to more impressive, to a full-scale grand finale, lighting 5 boxes off at once.  It lasted about 45 minutes and was just as good as any small town firework display… but with a personal touch and all the comforts of home.

There’s always something special about spending a hot summer day on the river, or in a cool refreshing lake.  The weather forecast for this weekend is predicted to be the same as last… hot and humid with a chance of more heat and more humidity.  Which basically means there’s a 100% chance that Sharon will be driving back to Portland after work tomorrow.  (I’m pretty sure there’s some floaties that will be needing my attention).  So until next time, stay cool everybody J