Filed under: Update
Bully, the Malawi Cichlid
When I got him, he was just under an inch long. Bright blue with black stripes and eyes that glared just as boldly as they’re doing in the photo above. Bully was one of four mixed breed Malawi Cichlids I purchased in 2001 to replace the three that were killed by an Auratus that dominated the brand new aquarium in my study in San Diego. For the first few days, little Bully hid in the crevices of river rock that lined the bottom of the tank, just like the rest of the cichlids. After a while he got used to his surroundings and was brave enough to guard his little hiding hole whenever another fish swam nearby. But the Auratus still ruled. It killed one more fish right in front of my eyes just two weeks after I brought the lot home.
One day, about a month later, I left for a three-day weekend to the Bay Area. I bought one of those slow-dissolving food pyramids for the tank and dropped it right down in the middle so that all the fish could access the food when it was released. Bully watched me drop it in from the safety of his hole. Crazy little guy. Guess he was still afraid of that Auratus.
I spent the entire weekend wondering how many fish would remain in the tank when I got back. I was betting on two, maybe three. But when I got back home, all of the fish had survived. They were all hiding. Even … the Auratus? Really? Yep, it was hiding in the top right corner of the tank behind the thermostat. Bully, on the other hand, wasn’t hiding. He was hovering – right above the near fully dissolved food pyramid, fins erect and eyes emblazoned.
Three days later Bully killed the Auratus.
He’s been my number one fish for eight years. He survived three failed filters, an incident with a malfunctioning thermostat, water chemistry imbalances, a swim bladder infection, swollen eyes, and even a 10-hour drive up the length of California in the front seat of a moving truck four years ago when I moved out of San Diego. It was always fun to watch him re-landscape his environment. He’d blow the silver sand around to hollow out a bowl-shaped space below his home under the rocks. He’d even try to push the thermostat and airstone out of the way. His last few years were calm and uneventful. Mostly because I didn’t bother him with other tankmates. He’d killed a total of ten over the years.
Bully died last week while I was in the hospital. I was told that he went peacefully, that there was nothing wrong with the water chemistry or filtration or heating. He had no visible injuries or anomalies. He just plain died of old age. It was probably a good thing I didn’t get to see him lying belly up in the bottom of his tank. It would’ve seemed surreal to me, this fish that survived so much with its fighting spirit. At the time of death he was six inches long and one and a half inches wide. Bright yellow and eyes emblazoned as always. I’ll miss him.
Happily it’s Spring. I took lunch outside twice last week, the crunchy greens fit nicely with the warm sunshine and smiles of passersby on the San Francisco sidewalks. Eventually the black coats will disappear and I’ll get raccoon eyes from all of this dining en plein aire with my shades on. It’s a good feeling.
Today I printed for two hours, concentrating on one shot from my Yosemite roll. I’m not quite satisfied with the results – there is a fingernail-shaped hair/scratch/something visible in the center of the frame that I have to investigate. And I’m still figuring out how to avoid getting gray snow. Later this week I’ll polish things up.
Funny that I spent this sunny day inside a darkroom. Yesterday, photographing outdoors at Muir Woods, the rain soaked me. I’m pretty sure some of the photos I took will either be slightly out of focus or feature large water droplets at random places in the frame. Curiously, I’m anticipating how the negatives will turn out.
Anyway, there’s books to read this Spring. My first one is Sunnyside by Glen David Gold. I just got an advanced reading copy on Friday, thanks to Powell’s Books of Portland. It was their latest selection for their book club, Indispensible. I’m still in the first part and I’m really liking it. The book doesn’t officially come out until May, so I feel kind of spoiled that I get to read something new from one of my favorite authors before most of the public does.
All in the celebration of Spring. It’s a good feeling.
Filed under: Update
Q: Cool custom header! What city is that?
A: Why thanks. It’s the Hong Kong skyline from atop Victoria Peak Tower. I took that photo during a visit back in December ‘08. That’s Kowloon in the distance, btw.
I have earned the right to some free time in August and I intend to use it well. Earlier this year I learned the basics of single signature bookbinding. I made eight books, all hardcover with a sewn single signature spine. These were simple books, text only with printing from the word processor installed on my computer. I chose simple solid colors for the bookcloth and there are no finished lettering on the covers since I’ve yet to learn that skill. I’ve also yet to learn how to sew on multiple signatures.
So now the learning process continues and I’m going to make a six copies of a short poetry chapbook. One of the copies will go to the Copyright Office for registration. I still need some supplies and I’m toying with the idea of buying a typewriter to complete this task, as I’m also attracted to the rustic handmade look. It should be a fun project and I’m looking forward to the hours of meticulous measuring, cutting, squaring, and pressing. This sort of activity keeps me focused.
Hopefully I can catch some courses on bookbinding, as these are very popular and tend to fill up really fast. They’re pricey, but they come with rental times at the various labs and presses. Well worth the expense.
