Goldfish, Goldfish, What do you See?

I see giant cows looking at me.


These are the sole survivors from Aspen's birthday 2 summers ago. They were 10 cent goldfish from Walmart, about 1 inch long. Let them live in the cows water trough, and they get an all-you-can-eat buffet all day long, and we never have to feed them. Talk about an easy pet! This picture is when we can actually see them and enjoy them more, while in a tank on Seth's dresser for the winte. (Not freezing in the ice water outside.) We had just fed them, thus the messy looking water. Last time I measured, the big one is about 4 1/2 inches long now.


Though I can't think of an easier way to have a pet, there was near tragedy twice their first summer. The water trough has a float valve, so it automatically refills with water whenever the cows drink it down. That water also gets used to wash out the water pump filter, and TWICE, the people helping our neighbor wash it out, left the water completely off of the float valve. So the cows drank the water all gone. Luckily, we found the fish flopping on their sides in the bottom of the trough, in about one centimeter of water, still barely alive. Both times! The first time, amazingly, all 5 survived, but the second time, only 1 survived. (The biggest one in this picture.) He must have 9 lives, or some important mission to fulfill in his life! (Maybe just entertaining me.) I am better at checking to make sure that water is always on now though, rather than just assuming it is.

The second of these fish was a new addition after all the others died. (Another tiny 10 cent fish. Wait, 14 cents actually this time.) He (or she?) was brown until just recently, then turned gold while in Seth's bedroom the past 5 months. So Aspen named him Rusty, and the other one is Whaley.

When they're outside, it's often hard to see them in the cows water. It depends on where the sun happens to be shining. I think they love having all the space to swim though! And all the good food the cows provide for them. Troy would like to release them in the creek or somewhere every winter, but I keep wanting to see how big they can really grow. And they do help keep that water tank "clean." I wonder what awaits them this summer...