Sad day in the pond – RIP Michael

Michael, my big wakin, appeared healthy. She swam with the other fish, ate hearty meals, and had beautifully erect fins. A beautiful specimen (5 inch body, 115g), she exhibited no signs of disease.

Then, last night, when I went out to say goodnight to the fish, I saw her laying motionless on her side on the bottom. I took her into my hand, and she swam weakly out of my light grasp.

A couple of hours later, I checked again and she was dead – no reactions, no respiration.

She had dropped dead. I had a wakin do that two years ago, and folks told me that they can have heart attacks and hemorrages just like any other developed mammal.

This is not only sad, but shocking, as my fish have never seemed more vigorous and healthy.

Plant update

We have one more frost predicted for the season, but spring has arrived as far as my plants know. I have a brown thumb, so I am pleased to have only lost one plant this winter, the fiber optic plant that was one of my favorites.

The first lily leaf has broken the surface:

The cardinal flowers continue to sprout:

The irises reach for the sun:

Plantains multiply:

And the parrot’s feather that I overwintered indoors begins to take root:

All that remains is the Umbrella Papyrus, which has to stay indoors until after the last frost.