Memories and Anticipations

Memories

As you have probably gathered, Phineas 2 decided he didn't like living in this harsh world any longer. DS and I had been expecting this actually. About four days before, I came home from work to find him sleeping in his fake plant. I kept it in there because other things moving around can freak betas out, and I wanted him to have a place he could "hide" from us. However, he was sleeping too high, and his nose was out of the water. I thought he was dead, and freaked out. DS poked him, and then Phineas freaked out. He wasn't dead after all. I still don't know if it was a lung problem from being out of the water, or shock from getting poked, but he was acting very strangely the last four days of his life. He kept trying to get back on top of the plant, so we removed it for his safety. DS decided he needed clean water, so we cleaned his bowl. I took this picture of his "temporary holding tank", because it was funny to me at the time.
The clean tank only slightly calmed him. He continued to almost convulse around the fish bowl, and swam frantically. We chose to stay away and give him darkness to calm him down and hoped for the best. Our hopes were lifted when we noticed that he had returned to enthusiatically going for his food as soon as we put in the bowl, instead of waiting until we were gone. But it was a false hope, as the very next day brought the sad news.

We had even taken extra precautions with this one, after the short life of the first one. We bought a small heater, and a tank thermometer, in case an extreme water temperature had been the demise of PH1. We got tips from an experienced beta owner friend on the best way to ease the transition between store and house. There have always been fish in my house. Well, in my mom's house. I think I'm going to take a break from fish for a while....

Anticipations

Tomorrow, DS, Jesse, and some people you don't know are leaving on a trip to Kentucky. The boys (and also a couple of girls, now that I think about it, though I generally group KC in with the boys for some reason..) are heading to the Red River Gorge. It's a most beautiful state park about an hour or so east of where my mom lives. I grew up hiking in the forests, and playing on Natural Bridge. All the sandstone makes for good climbing though, which is why they're going. I'm getting dropped off at my mom's, because I know she misses me. I don't think she's ever gone this long without seeing me before. When I lived 30 min away, she'd call me whining if I hadn't stopped by in the last week. So a visit she shall have.

You should all know by now that I'm eagerly anticipating the reunion between me and my dog. I actually don't have a lot of pictures of her full grown, so I'll make sure to get some while I'm there. For now, I give you another puppy picture.
There she is, with Jackson, my mom's "third child". She's acutally slightly taller than him now. He's a beagle or foxhound mix, we're not really sure which. He's a little too tall to be a beagle. Her other two dogs are full blooded basset hounds. One is very stupid and annoying, the other is an angel.

My plans were originally to spend Friday with my friends, since my mom will be at work, and then Saturday with my mom. However, most of my friends bailed on me. Lame! So it will just be me, CO, and her baby, Nick. We're going to Huber's for pumpkin picking and fresh apple cider and apple butter. Homemade ice cream, cheese, wine... oooh, I can't wait!

To be sure, taking a three year old (nearly) to such a place for the first time will be exciting. Expect pictures to follow!