"Don't leave your bag in a car" another proverb from George Joyce

Things must be going well; Puffin is in the process of building the biggest bubble nest I've ever seen. Or, is he taking me for a ride? You never know in the land of cut-throat England, things aren't always what they seem. I've been teaching my cockney caveman friend how to use the internet and I lent him my iPod because he loves one of my favorite artists Greg Brown. I went down to the Bournemouth beach to meet his son, Michael Joyce, who's a chef for Gary Rhodes restaurant in Christchurch - a historical town close to Bournemouth. And while we were walking along the beach promenade enjoying the view of Old Harry's Rocks, and the setting sun's promise of summer, Michael's fiancee's car was smashed into and George's backpack was stolen, along with my iPod.

'Just Keep Buggering On' - Winston Churchill

The last few days have been stormy both outside of my window and inside of me for reasons I'll not share on this public outpost of my own frontier. So sitting alone and pulling the cloak of heavens darkest blanket around me and spitting bullets of vitriol in every direction I ceased for a moment yesterday and picked up the phone and called favorite poet, Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Without even telling him of my woes, he was inspired to tell me how each of our trials are tailor made to suit our needs exactly to strengthen and fortify us as humans. The man's right. And I'll share why.

Starbuck, my love and hero sits in a prison cell and will remain there for 2-6 months. That's his trial designed perfectly for him. As horrible as it sounds and as embarrassing as it is for me to be in love with an 'inmate' I have to respect God's plan and not to compare my trial with his or anyone elses for that matter.

Then there's my eternal friend, Sister Bacon Sizzle (you know who you are!) and I recall her experience from about 15 years ago when she asked the Universe for a challenge specific to her weaknesses so she may grow stronger. She got the challenge alright and overcame it beautifully but not without significant pain and frustration. What a woman! Her humility is astounding. I'm grateful to her and Mr KK/BB's, my parents, and Starbuck's, for I sit on the shoulders of giants and I'm learning everyday from The Master. My Muse.

So as I reflect upon these things, the feeling and presence of something greater than myself overcomes me. And what's more, I look to my left and see Puffin blowing his third bubble nest this month. He has forgiven me!

My friends, life goes on and things will invariably get worse or better but can always improve once we understand that our challenges cannot be compared to our brother's plight and that we realize our sentence is measured according to our own unique design. And then as we wake up to the challenge of our new dawning day, like a feast waiting to be devoured, we can allow the richness of life to wash over us. But before that happens we must be forced to our needs.

Happy belated Mothers Day Mom:)

Suicidal Blonde

I removed Puffin's lid tonight and set my camera to high speed continuous shooting mode (that's 6.5 shots per second) and sat there waiting for the bird to fly. I don't hate Puffin, I just need SOMETHING TO HAPPEN!! I've been a FREElance photographer for a local magazine www.DV8online.co.uk and working my bloody socks off! I've made a car payment with the money I've dropped on cabs, I have not been taking care of my two week long flu, and putting batteries in my speed lite flash like it was some thing with big teeth out of a George Lucas trilogy. I'm desperate for payback, something to make my soul fly and there's nothing that could make it soar like capturing my very own fish in flight. On normal days Puffin has been spotted dancing freely to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 in C# minor: Adiago Sostenuto. But other than that it's pretty much Nuffin.

Attention all BettaHeads

Puffin jumped out of his bowl last night. Luckily I was at my computer and sitting close enough to catch some movement from the corner of my eye. Puffin was lying there like a man drowning. I screamed, cupped my hands, and plopped him back in, and I can't remember what happened next. I remember waking up later on in the day and dreamt that Puffin and I were part of a traveling circus and people came from all over to see him ascend to the surface with great speed enough to launch himself up high into the air before plopping back into his bowl. I was the one running around trying to catch him. This is the first dream I've ever had of Puffin but not the first fish that's ever tried to escape.

http://abettablog.blogspot.com/2008/01/tails-cuddling-and-other-trials.html

Either Puffin is suicidal or I'm just a careless and negligent Betta Fish owner. So please BettaHeads keep your water level at least below an inch from the top of the bowl. If you forget (like I did) put some kind of cover over it. Like an empty Harrods Chocolate box for example. Puffin - I love you and I'm glad that today I'm not saying R.I.P Puffin

Getting to know Ralph

The local tramp took my salt and vinegar crisps tonight.
Finally!
I guess he needed the salt.
I over-filled Puffin Palace as well
Let's hope he doesn't jump out.

**Puffin Police**

Regretfully I kicked Puffin Palace for the second time this month and his little soft green tree --courtesy of DP FISHWAYS and anchored down with strange pebbles from Pompeii-- is now a leafy cloud in his bubble-less cosmos.
Some of the boughs hang down like a hammock and there Puffin sits and watches my every move, adjusting himself as I move around the room. It's the weirdest thing since Rojo.
Siamese Fighting Fish are among God's greatest creations! And the movie "Hot Fuzz" is one of man's...

O Puffin, Get over it!

I accidentally kicked my nightstand earlier and Puffin's bubblenest popped into oblivion. I walked into my bedroom a short while later and saw Puffin hanging there looking up at his now vacant bubble-less ceiling. The drama, the silence! I felt really bad so I walked into the village and picked up a bottle of Scottish spring water since he's due for a water change. Hopefully he'll develop an accent and a love for Robert Burns...

O my luve is like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass,

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun;

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only love,

And fare thee weel, awhile!

And I will come again, my love

Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

Robert Burns

And he huffed and he puffed and he blew and blew.....

'Puffin Palace' is located on my nightstand to my left and from there he watches me at my computer. When I get into bed at night Puffin will turn 180 degrees and watch me read until I turn off the light.

One day as we were both staring at each other wondering what the other was thinking, and me trying to put myself in his fins, he popped up to the surface for a breath. It then occurred to me how bright the bulb of my lamp must be in his eyes every time he ascends so I placed over his vase a black 6x4 piece of cardboard to shield him from the glare.

I continued with my work on the computer and about 20 minutes later saw that Puffin's bubblenest had almost tripled in size! I have been studying/writing about BettaFish for over a year now and I have never read anywhere that a dark cover on a Betta Bowl would encourage bubblenest blowing.

This is breaking news for all Betta enthusiasts.

Now bzzzz has been silenced

As one last tribute to The Busy Bee I'm posting a poem I wrote while I was still working there. But after that it's back to my fish because PUFFIN has started building me a BUBBLENEST!!!! This only means one thing - that my love is being reciprocated (he's ready for lurve too but I won't go into that.) So here goes....

The Busy Bee - a poem

It’s the same everyday come rain or shine
When they walk through the door I consider them mine.
I tend bar at The Bee; a dive bar on State
We serve chowder for lunch and stay open till late.

I’ve heard many stories from behind the beer taps
The fish grows by inches after every Pabst.
But it’s more than just burgers and blue collar beer
They come for the “Hey Hun, it’s about time you were here!”

The regular fellows are Paul, Bob, or Mike
And a bearded Green Bay fan who arrives on a bike.
There’s a priest, and a poet, and a blond with long hair
And a grumpy old cop who sleeps in his chair.

There’s a phone with no numbers not even a dial
And the men’s room is scary and needs some new tile.
There’s a photo of George dressed up like a girl
The loudest one in there he's deaf, and it's Earl.

The beer has been flowing for some 65 years
It started with veterans but now there’s some queers.
Speaking of which let’s turn to the Greeks
The first to say homos were humans not freaks!

They’re mad with the Romans and resent the Turks
And still taking credit for Plato’s great works.
So unless you’re in Greece don’t bother with feta

The burgers and fries at The Bee are much better.

Dave buddy, yours is next.

The Beer Hive

Did you think that you would ever see
beer dispensed by 2 stunning Queen Bees

Serving chilled golden nectar from 'On Tap'
with frosted base and frothy cap

Dreaming as you sit and stare
smelling sweet brews mist in the air

That maybe they'll let you drink all day
until your mind just drafts away

Then imagining your mouth might press
against a kegs sparkling effervescent breast

But sometimes in complete surprise
they'll bring you a ruben and nice order of fries

Poems are composed by fools like me
as I watch Mira and Cindy serving beer
at the Busy Bee

*****

More of Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang's (aka Dave Poet aka Markus Surrealious) can be found in the Betta Songbook in the BettaLinks section in the margin to the right.

Puffin and the Bloodworms

The only down side to keeping a BettaFish are the bloodworms I feed them. They're packaged into frozen cubes which need submerging in a little water and as it melts the vile things seem to wriggle back to life. Don't be tempted to throw a whole cube in with your Betta because an all-you-can-eat buffet is in fact lethal. I used to think overfeeding led to some kind of gut-explosion and was the reason behind Rojo's untimely demise but actually because of excess food decomposing and releasing toxic nitrates into the water, which can happen very quickly. So, I'm afraid your thawed out legions need to be put back in the freezer. Just keep them away from the ice-cream, ugh!

This is my new fish by the way. His name is Puffin and I love him. He's everything you'd want in a Betta; attentive, thoughtful, and even conscientious enough to "go" in his tree...

"Puffin Palace"















"Puffin Poo"