And so last Thursday, as I was leaving the school with boys in tow, I had a frown on my face. The principal looked at me with raised eyebrows. I said, “Pets. They want pets. I am being beaten down for pets…”
He said, “Mrs. L, be strong! Remember the word… NO.”
We laughed and I got the kids to the car.
Y’all remember how I came home with three fish, three hermit crabs and a hamster. By the way, the hermit crabs names are Meatloaf, Pork Chop, and Clam Chowder. There is suspicion that someone was hungry when they were named…
Anyway, I had to see the principal on Friday afternoon after I picked up the kids. He had some things to ask me. I went in, head hanging and said, “I tried… but we have pets now.”
He replied, “Oh? What did you get?”
I said someone morosely, “Three fish, three hermit crabs and a hamster.”
His face lightened and he gave me the fist to fist bump and said, “Hey! That’s GREAT! Those are the perfect pets! NO MAINTENANCE and you forewent the cats and dogs and all that comes with those!!! PERFECT!”
With a look of horror on my face, I retorted, “NO! We do not do big mammals in my home. No more mammals. No more potty training mammals, no more baby mammals… I’m done with taking care of mammals. Three boys is enough…”
So come Saturday, one of the fish had already committed suicide. It jumped out of the tank, landed on Ringo’s sock, and then when he got it back in the little glass bowl, the fish started swimming upside down, indicative of some sort of neurological damage, if fish even have a neurological system. He died shortly thereafter.
The other two fish died yesterday.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Mom, Morrigan, and I attended a fantastic meeting where the speaker was a woman I know that works the Iditarod. She is a chip checker… checking the chips on each dog to make sure they are registered and what not. Sixteen dogs per team, sixteen teams she usually checks. She is an absolutely AMAZING woman and her talk was just outstanding. We could not get enough of her.
I will tell any of you, if you get a chance to ever listen to someone speak knowledgeably about the Iditarod, please do so. It’s absolutely fascinating.
So she told us how the Mushers spend their time taking care of these dogs. The dogs are in top condition, obviously, and are very well loved and taken care of. Vets are at the major points, checking the dogs and pulling any that do not seem fit. A team can end the race with no fewer than six dogs this year and five dogs in previous years. And if a Musher realizes a dog is not fit to run for any reason, I believe the dog goes in the basket and is carried to the next stopping point where the Vet will take care.
All of it… I just can’t say enough. She said that after each run, the dogs are fed (special food) and the Musher will massage the dogs’ feet and bodies. These dogs LOVE to run and their Mushers take extraordinary care.
I’m adding it to my list of top 100 things I want to do before I die. I know, y’all are laughing yourselves silly at thinking of me in Alaska in the winter, considering when it drops below 70 I don a sweater and below 60 I am miserable, but it’s a mental thing and having the right clothing and I just… must go. Just to watch. I must go.
Anyway, so between the ‘pets’ we acquired this weekend and listening to this extraordinary woman speak on the Iditarod and all it entails and the care of the dogs, I came up with the following:
If you lead a wonderful life, you are kind and good, then you come back as an Iditarod dog.
If you lead a crappy life, are a real creep, mean and black hearted, you come back as a little fish, stuck in a tiny little glass bowl, owned by a 13 year old boy.
Heh.
My 13 year old doesn’t think that’s too funny…
I see a fish tank on the horizon… a real fresh water fish tank. My husband has owned one before. As long as I don’t have to care for it… I’m cool. I see it coming though…
And for your reading enjoyment… a flavor of this year’s Itadrod. Very cool reading…
Am I the only one who thinks the first fish picked up some funky residue from the sock it fell on... and when it was dropped back in the bowl, that's what killed the other two fish?
Posted by: Roses at April 8, 2008 08:26 PMIditarod... If you insist, I highly recommend you get yourself a pair of mukluks. Not just any... go to mukluks.com your feet will thank you profusely and they will be warm. (says the woman with perpetually cold feet). Oh yeah - get the short ones they are much easier to get on and off.
Posted by: Teresa at April 8, 2008 08:26 PMI mean...
I have boys.
And the smell of their socks makes grown men weep.
Just sayin'...
Posted by: Roses at April 8, 2008 08:27 PMRoses- LOL! Actually, we think they died because he changed the water out too quickly. And it was a small bowl... and not life sufficient. But the sock theory is very good!
Teresa- I am keeping muklaks in my favorites!
Posted by: Bou at April 8, 2008 08:44 PMGetting a tank established is the hardest part. Beneficial bacteria build up slowly in the tank. I think some of the tropical fish are easier than goldfish. Goldfish are messy!
We've had luck with platys. We also had a horse faced loach (shifty eyed little creature who tunneled under the gravel)for 8 years. African dwarf frogs are nice too. Just make sure your fish are compatible! The larger the tank, actually, the easier it is to maintain. They hit a certain equilibrium after a while.
I'd still get a rat.
Posted by: Peggy U at April 9, 2008 12:34 AMWe have done the whole fish tank thing here - a couple of times. (I am a slow learner, apparently.) No more!! They look easy, but they are a money sucking pain in the a$$!!
Posted by: Richmond at April 9, 2008 08:12 AMI had the immense privilege several years ago to attend a lecture by Susan Butcher - the first woman to win the Iditarod. She is an amazing person - her stories of training for herself and her dogs (who all lived with her family), of her experiences in the Alaskan wildnerness - will all stay with me forever.
Posted by: Kris, in New England at April 9, 2008 08:40 AMMichigan has it's own version of the Idadrod every year.
www.up200.org
There are also alot of kennels that allow people to mush dogs.
www.natureskennel.com
Posted by: Quality Weenie at April 9, 2008 08:46 AMKris- Hearing Susan Butcher speak must have been TREMENDOUS. Our speaker spoke of her often. What an amazing absolutely amazing woman she was.
I believe this year's Memorium at the Iditarod was for her.
Posted by: Bou at April 9, 2008 09:37 AMThey had some sled dogs at the fair a few years back. Very friendly, eager dogs and much smaller than I'd expected.
We also saw them at Denali park in Alaska. The rangers hooked a few up to a sled on wheels and a little run around some trees just to show the tourists how it worked. Those little dogs BEGGED to be selected for the sled run. They LOVE to run.
As for why they're relatively small, I was told that HUMAN runners are skinny and fairly small. You don't see weightlifter types running marathons. Same thing with dogs bred for long distance running.
I wish I'd been able to hear that woman's speech. It DOES sound very interesting.
Posted by: George at April 9, 2008 11:36 AMYou might really enjoy this blog, if you haven't stumbled across it already.
Posted by: Omnibus Driver at April 9, 2008 02:37 PMI've really gotten into the Iditarod thing these last cople of years. Once I found their website had frequent updates, interactive maps, bulletin boards where the fans could kibbitz and comment...and this year GPS units on many of the sleds!
Like you, I'd love to get out there and watch the start and finish of the race. (I'd stick around for the Red Lantern winner, too! To continue on the trail for days after the official winer has been declared takes one heck of a special person.)
Posted by: joated at April 10, 2008 01:24 PMyou enjoyed our fish tank, right?
Posted by: wRitErsbLock at April 12, 2008 08:50 AM