Six Golds, two Shubunkins, two High Fin Banded Sharks (not a shark). The only survivors of the last free meal are the guppies, so they're still in there swimming around with not a care in the world. Probably too small to see and squirrely to catch. The joke has become that we're going to end up with a fountain full of guppies we can barely see. This fish mystery has become quite the project. I’ve just purchased a nature cam on amazon but it won’t arrive until Thursday. Mom says she’s going to put a tarp over the fountain at night which I don’t see as much of a deterrent except in the hopes that I might hear rustling from my bedroom window. Then we went to our neighbor’s to borrow her baby monitor (long shot since daughter is 7 now) and of course, she just recently gave it away. I just wanted something to see me through Thursday when we get the cam.
There’s a chill tonight so I’ve closed my windows but I’m going to open one after all and maybe the added obstacle of a plastic tarp will make enough noise to alert me in the event of a visitor.
There are a number of suspects so far:
I’m betting on opossums simply because they’re nocturnal and that’s when the fish have been disappearing.
Yes, owls and predatory birds are nocturnal as well but I’ve never seen an owl around here and although there is an active and local red-shouldered hawk, I think that a hawk catching fish would make for at least a little bit of commotion and splashing.
The people at the fish store and the guy at the camera shop all said that raccoons often eat pond fish but, again, I’ve never seen a raccoon in this specific area. They’re in Huntington Beach and I’ve seen them along the coastal cities, but as much as we have quite the active population of fauna in our yard, raccoons have never been spotted.
A new suspect was added to the lineup this evening. After we introduced the new fish babies to the fountain and were letting them settle in, I came back inside and mom did some minor gardening. Not long after, she yelled at me from the yard that there was a crow up in the phone cables, directly over the fountain. Crows are not allowed in the backyard. The mockingbirds are very strict about that rule. Crows belong in the front yard. They’re never allowed to perch for very long in any of the neighboring roofs, cables, or the big telephone pole nearest us. They are always aggressively chased away. But I’m wondering if a gap in scheduling could give them a window of opportunity either late in the evening or early in the morning, when the mockingbirds are sleeping and the crows can sneak in for a brief moment.
I’ve told Cleo that this lack of attention to invaders has put her in real danger of not having her contract renewed. She doesn't seem particularly troubled by this announcement. There was a half-assed tail wag and a u-turn back into the living room in a pleasant trot. I guess the “we love all animals” training in her earlier years sunk in a little too well. She is currently snoring.
Feel free to place your bets, by the way.
Later that evening, the question of Cleo's inactivity prompted me to check my records and, sure enough, there's a notation in Cleo's file about her agreed-upon retirement date. Seems she's been off duty for the last couple of years and I've not only neglected to mark the occasion but have unfairly continued to expect her to meet her obligations. We discussed my error this morning and she - ever gracious - has accepted my apologies with little ado. She says that while she does enjoy the occasional posturing and chasing of a foreign element, her senses aren't what they used to be so it would be unfair of her to promise or commit to the level of quality that she once was able to meet. I thanked her for her candor and reiterated my regret at my oversight. There were some kisses on my knee and now, having done her (informal) rounds of the backyard, she is napping again.
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