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Tank birthday and I'm a Geezer
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Paul B
NJRC Member
This weekend was pretty good. We went with another couple who have been our good friends for over 40 years to a very small town in Vermont called Poultney. Don't look on a map.
Our Daughter owns a vacation home there. Anyway we live on Long Island so we took the ferry to Bridgeport Connecticut.
This is the Port Jefferson/Bridgeport Conn. Ferry.
The ride is a little over an hour. But it's a nice ride and the weather was perfect. The ship crosses over the Long Island Sound where I did most of my boating.
After the ferry we drove almost 5 hours to the house which is on a mountain up a dirt road, a few miles from anything that resembles civilization.
It's a really nice farm house.
They also have a couple of these, that we used to go up and around the mountain. Our friends also had one and he had to keep stopping every time his wife saw a wildflower she wanted.
That pond there is man made and is loaded with frogs, like millions of them. It was a stream and they dammed it up a little to make that pond. They used to stock it with trout and maybe Manta Rays but now there are only frogs and newts.
We couldn't make it all the way up the mountain like we normally do because one of the 17 bridges was out and looked like if a small horseshoe crab tip toed across it, it would collapse sending you about 5' down a small, rocky ravine.
You wouldn't croak, but that ATV wouldn't fare to well.
They have this swing next to the pond under the apple trees.
Coming down back to the house we noticed this cow. Being born in Brooklyn I don't know too much about cows except that they squeeze them to get milk.
Also, being I went to high school and everything I noticed he was on the "road" and not a few feet away behind the "enclosure", which was a piece of wire about 18" off the ground, so I figured cows were not the smartest creatures.
I told my Son N Laws Father who lives there about the cow. He called the caretaker, who is a close to 80 year old Lady who can hardly walk to go and rustle the cow back to where ever cows live.
She wasn't real happy about that but I can't write the "colorful" language she used here as my computer would catch fire.
I am not sure how she was able to lift the cow the 18" over the wire to put her back either.
On Saturday they had the biggest event that they have in this town. I am fairly sure it is the only event they have in that town. It's a chili cook off where they all make chili and people vote on which is the best. You buy a cup for $7.00 and you can taste all the chili.
All the townspeople come to this, all 12 of them. I noticed a sign informing you of the rules on what you can put in the chili, and in big letters it read, "NO ROAD KILL OF ANY KIND" at this event. So I assumed at other events you can use that as it is all over the place. We saw (and smelled) Skunks, porcupines, possums, many racoons, deer, beavers, birds, and I swear one of them was an Emu.
The chili I assume was delicious but I didn't try it as I am sure there was something in it that would kill me.
They have a General Store there that is also the post office. It was built in 1730 and still has the horse hitching posts outside. They sell some ready made food but That sign about the road kill turned me off to that.
WE got to the ferry an hour early and we tried to get on that earlier boat. They were not sure if they could fit us on, but they squeezed and that is my car, that red Jeep. I told them I would get on even if my back wheels were off the back.
On our way home, from the ferry I saw my next boat.
Our Daughter owns a vacation home there. Anyway we live on Long Island so we took the ferry to Bridgeport Connecticut.
This is the Port Jefferson/Bridgeport Conn. Ferry.
The ride is a little over an hour. But it's a nice ride and the weather was perfect. The ship crosses over the Long Island Sound where I did most of my boating.
After the ferry we drove almost 5 hours to the house which is on a mountain up a dirt road, a few miles from anything that resembles civilization.
It's a really nice farm house.
They also have a couple of these, that we used to go up and around the mountain. Our friends also had one and he had to keep stopping every time his wife saw a wildflower she wanted.
That pond there is man made and is loaded with frogs, like millions of them. It was a stream and they dammed it up a little to make that pond. They used to stock it with trout and maybe Manta Rays but now there are only frogs and newts.
We couldn't make it all the way up the mountain like we normally do because one of the 17 bridges was out and looked like if a small horseshoe crab tip toed across it, it would collapse sending you about 5' down a small, rocky ravine.
You wouldn't croak, but that ATV wouldn't fare to well.
They have this swing next to the pond under the apple trees.
Coming down back to the house we noticed this cow. Being born in Brooklyn I don't know too much about cows except that they squeeze them to get milk.
Also, being I went to high school and everything I noticed he was on the "road" and not a few feet away behind the "enclosure", which was a piece of wire about 18" off the ground, so I figured cows were not the smartest creatures.
I told my Son N Laws Father who lives there about the cow. He called the caretaker, who is a close to 80 year old Lady who can hardly walk to go and rustle the cow back to where ever cows live.
She wasn't real happy about that but I can't write the "colorful" language she used here as my computer would catch fire.
I am not sure how she was able to lift the cow the 18" over the wire to put her back either.
On Saturday they had the biggest event that they have in this town. I am fairly sure it is the only event they have in that town. It's a chili cook off where they all make chili and people vote on which is the best. You buy a cup for $7.00 and you can taste all the chili.
All the townspeople come to this, all 12 of them. I noticed a sign informing you of the rules on what you can put in the chili, and in big letters it read, "NO ROAD KILL OF ANY KIND" at this event. So I assumed at other events you can use that as it is all over the place. We saw (and smelled) Skunks, porcupines, possums, many racoons, deer, beavers, birds, and I swear one of them was an Emu.
The chili I assume was delicious but I didn't try it as I am sure there was something in it that would kill me.
They have a General Store there that is also the post office. It was built in 1730 and still has the horse hitching posts outside. They sell some ready made food but That sign about the road kill turned me off to that.
WE got to the ferry an hour early and we tried to get on that earlier boat. They were not sure if they could fit us on, but they squeezed and that is my car, that red Jeep. I told them I would get on even if my back wheels were off the back.
On our way home, from the ferry I saw my next boat.
reefsandrotts
NJRC Member
OMG
A blue tang and an asternia star.....
Your tanks theme song should be living on the edge by Aerosmith....
A blue tang and an asternia star.....
Your tanks theme song should be living on the edge by Aerosmith....
Paul B
NJRC Member
I found my "almost" complete Log book from 1971 to the 90s. I see I was having trouble keeping corals but my Alk was 3 and my calcium was about 125
I think I know the problem now.
I also saw that I lost an awful lot of fish, but not from disease. I really didn't know what I was doing and the food available was horrendous. I had fish killing each other, I also used to remove all the dead bleached corals weekly to bleach so they were nice and white and during that fish would jump out or the residual bleach would kill them.
My tank was "40 gallons" and I had, at the same time a French Angel, Moorish Idol and copperband along with a bunch of other fish.
I would buy or get for free sick fish and try to cure them with Human burn ointment or human medications as there was nothing for fish.
I really feel bad for all the fish killed.
I wrote it i free hand in pencil until about 1976, then I lost some pages but it turns up again typed on an Apple computer which was basically a typewriter as there was no internet.
I think I know the problem now.
I also saw that I lost an awful lot of fish, but not from disease. I really didn't know what I was doing and the food available was horrendous. I had fish killing each other, I also used to remove all the dead bleached corals weekly to bleach so they were nice and white and during that fish would jump out or the residual bleach would kill them.
My tank was "40 gallons" and I had, at the same time a French Angel, Moorish Idol and copperband along with a bunch of other fish.
I would buy or get for free sick fish and try to cure them with Human burn ointment or human medications as there was nothing for fish.
I really feel bad for all the fish killed.
I wrote it i free hand in pencil until about 1976, then I lost some pages but it turns up again typed on an Apple computer which was basically a typewriter as there was no internet.
Paul B
NJRC Member
We just got back from Connecticut for a couple of days in a B&B for our 46th (I think) anniversary.
It poured the entire time.
We took the ferry there and it was fairly calm. As I looked over the side at the sea, I saw this large fin slicing through the water. I have been out there in the middle of the Long Island Sound many times but I never saw a large shark there.
I know a few weeks ago they reported a 12' Great White Shark there so I figured it was one of those.
Then as we got closer I saw a Sea Gull land right in front of it. I figured the gull was going to be a small lunch for the shark.
Then I noticed the fin bending from side to side and I know shark fins don't do that as they are made out of aluminum and are very stiff.
All of a sudden this huge fish jumps completely out of the water and slaps down again. It was maybe 4' or 5' long and almost as high.
It was an Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola.
It jumped three or four times and after every jump it would lay on it's side at the surface and the sea gull would stand on it and eat parasites off it's sides.
Our boat was moving pretty fast so I could only see this for about 30 seconds but it made my day.
I have only seen an ocean sunfish once or twice before but that was far out to sea. This was about 8 miles out.
Sunfish are the largest bony fish and can reach over 2,000 lbs. or as much as some of my old girlfriends.
Very cool.
Coming home it was so windy that they cancelled our ferry due to high winds and rain. I think the Captain noticed there were some Sissy, Girly Men Snowflakes on line and figured they would get the horrors and croak.
This ferry is a big boat holding maybe 100 or more cars.
We drove for an hour to Bridgeport Conn. and got a different ferry to Long Island so we didn't do to bad.
I got good news when I got home and found out my book, "The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist" is back in print on Amazon so I ordered myself some copies in case I forgot what I wrote.
It poured the entire time.
We took the ferry there and it was fairly calm. As I looked over the side at the sea, I saw this large fin slicing through the water. I have been out there in the middle of the Long Island Sound many times but I never saw a large shark there.
I know a few weeks ago they reported a 12' Great White Shark there so I figured it was one of those.
Then as we got closer I saw a Sea Gull land right in front of it. I figured the gull was going to be a small lunch for the shark.
Then I noticed the fin bending from side to side and I know shark fins don't do that as they are made out of aluminum and are very stiff.
All of a sudden this huge fish jumps completely out of the water and slaps down again. It was maybe 4' or 5' long and almost as high.
It was an Ocean Sunfish or Mola Mola.
It jumped three or four times and after every jump it would lay on it's side at the surface and the sea gull would stand on it and eat parasites off it's sides.
Our boat was moving pretty fast so I could only see this for about 30 seconds but it made my day.
I have only seen an ocean sunfish once or twice before but that was far out to sea. This was about 8 miles out.
Sunfish are the largest bony fish and can reach over 2,000 lbs. or as much as some of my old girlfriends.
Very cool.
Coming home it was so windy that they cancelled our ferry due to high winds and rain. I think the Captain noticed there were some Sissy, Girly Men Snowflakes on line and figured they would get the horrors and croak.
This ferry is a big boat holding maybe 100 or more cars.
We drove for an hour to Bridgeport Conn. and got a different ferry to Long Island so we didn't do to bad.
I got good news when I got home and found out my book, "The Avant-Garde Marine Aquarist" is back in print on Amazon so I ordered myself some copies in case I forgot what I wrote.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Just in case anyone believes I am going to get wealthy beyond my wildest dreams with this book, I would like you to know that 100% of any profits from this book will be donated to MS
(Multiple Sclerosis) research in my wife's name.
She has had the disease for 20 years and is not really doing very well with it as MS is so far a disease that can't be cured.
Besides, my wildest dreams involves a flounder, two Supermodels, a bowling ball and a door handle from a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
(Multiple Sclerosis) research in my wife's name.
She has had the disease for 20 years and is not really doing very well with it as MS is so far a disease that can't be cured.
Besides, my wildest dreams involves a flounder, two Supermodels, a bowling ball and a door handle from a 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass.
Paul B
NJRC Member
At 6:30 this morning the sun just stated to come out and I figured i would go for a bicycle ride. Loosen up the stiff muscles a little.
There is a little hill next to a pond here and I started cruising down the hill.
All of a sudden I see this young deer right in front of me not moving. As I got closer and closer I could tell she had that
"Geezer in the Headlights" look.
Just before I crashed into her she took off. She was running right next to me for a while and as she looked over at me I could tell she was thinking "Wow this Old Coot can go pretty fast"
But I don't think deer know much about bicycles going down hill.
This isn't her, maybe her sister.
There is a little hill next to a pond here and I started cruising down the hill.
All of a sudden I see this young deer right in front of me not moving. As I got closer and closer I could tell she had that
"Geezer in the Headlights" look.
Just before I crashed into her she took off. She was running right next to me for a while and as she looked over at me I could tell she was thinking "Wow this Old Coot can go pretty fast"
But I don't think deer know much about bicycles going down hill.
This isn't her, maybe her sister.
Paul B
NJRC Member
This blue sponge that grows on virtually every spare piece of real estate in my tank is really looking nice. It is "Bluer" that it used to be for some reason. I think it is due to the clams I have been feeding and all the clam juice associated with it.
The stuff grows a little to fast and I do have to trim it about every month or so but it is a great water filter.
I got a small piece of it many years ago but it really took off. It's almost like a very cheap coral and I like it a lot.
I do throw a lot of it out when I trim it because i don't know what to do with it and I don't know anyone locally with a salt tank.
I also think it is photosynthetic which is weird as sponges are not usually sensitive to light except to hide from it.
If it gets shaded because something grows over it, it turns very light, almost white.
The stuff grows a little to fast and I do have to trim it about every month or so but it is a great water filter.
I got a small piece of it many years ago but it really took off. It's almost like a very cheap coral and I like it a lot.
I do throw a lot of it out when I trim it because i don't know what to do with it and I don't know anyone locally with a salt tank.
I also think it is photosynthetic which is weird as sponges are not usually sensitive to light except to hide from it.
If it gets shaded because something grows over it, it turns very light, almost white.
Paul B
NJRC Member
This morning I am washing my worms. My neighbors think I'm nuts and that my PTSD got worse.
My culture of white worms is very old, maybe 10 years and there are tiny flies hatching in there. More flies than worms so it, of course is outside.
I am going to leave them flooded for 24 hours because I know the worms can live submerged for five days in salt water, but I am hoping the fly larvae can't SCUBA dive for long.
I don't want to order a new culture because these are very big for some reason, much larger than the original batch.
I think they are Godzilla Larvae.
My culture of white worms is very old, maybe 10 years and there are tiny flies hatching in there. More flies than worms so it, of course is outside.
I am going to leave them flooded for 24 hours because I know the worms can live submerged for five days in salt water, but I am hoping the fly larvae can't SCUBA dive for long.
I don't want to order a new culture because these are very big for some reason, much larger than the original batch.
I think they are Godzilla Larvae.
Paul B
NJRC Member
Today, after I went on my boat to do a few last minutes winterizing things, paid some bills and started designing a new
(what will be very cool) steam punk "thing" I gave my worms a bath. Actually it was yesterday that I flooded them and kept them flooded for 24 hours. My worm culture has been giving me problems as it is breeding dozens of flies, and I hate flies. Scurvy little vile things.
I know they are hatching in there and I know the worms don't mind being submerged so I sunk them all day.
The worms seemed happy and were all doing what looked like an Italian wedding dance so i figured there were fine.
I was trying to drown the fly larvae. So far, so good as I don't see any flies.
If this doesn't work, I will flood them for 48 hours, then 72 hours.
After I dried them out somewhat, I fed them a nice dinner of stale bread, yogurt and nutritional yeast. I also added more potting soil in the hope they will once again start breeding and multiplying. I may have to wait a couple of weeks to see if I was successful.
In the absence of live worms I have been feeding my fish, besides LRS food, clams that I got in a bait store. I was going to use these clams as bait, but I only went fishing once this year and didn't catch anything so i am feeding them to the fish.
My anemone quadrupled in size and is the largest thing in the tank by far except for the sculpture of myself next to Christie Brinkley.
(what will be very cool) steam punk "thing" I gave my worms a bath. Actually it was yesterday that I flooded them and kept them flooded for 24 hours. My worm culture has been giving me problems as it is breeding dozens of flies, and I hate flies. Scurvy little vile things.
I know they are hatching in there and I know the worms don't mind being submerged so I sunk them all day.
The worms seemed happy and were all doing what looked like an Italian wedding dance so i figured there were fine.
I was trying to drown the fly larvae. So far, so good as I don't see any flies.
If this doesn't work, I will flood them for 48 hours, then 72 hours.
After I dried them out somewhat, I fed them a nice dinner of stale bread, yogurt and nutritional yeast. I also added more potting soil in the hope they will once again start breeding and multiplying. I may have to wait a couple of weeks to see if I was successful.
In the absence of live worms I have been feeding my fish, besides LRS food, clams that I got in a bait store. I was going to use these clams as bait, but I only went fishing once this year and didn't catch anything so i am feeding them to the fish.
My anemone quadrupled in size and is the largest thing in the tank by far except for the sculpture of myself next to Christie Brinkley.
Paul B
NJRC Member
This thing says there are 37,000 views. Where are all you people? Are you in a coma? I understand that even if you are in a coma, you can still hear and understand. HELLO!!!. Someone say something, even Duh or Um.
Say something in Aramaic or Latin. Talk about Pina Colada's, anything except the democratic convention picking last night.
No politics. Just fish, life, wine, Praying Mantises, bowling balls, Supermodels, pliers, grilled cheese, salt water taffy,anything.
HELLO.
Is this thing on?
I went to the beach the other day and saw a Praying Mantis, see even I can make up something.
This little friend met me by the beach. See how easy that was.
Say something in Aramaic or Latin. Talk about Pina Colada's, anything except the democratic convention picking last night.
No politics. Just fish, life, wine, Praying Mantises, bowling balls, Supermodels, pliers, grilled cheese, salt water taffy,anything.
HELLO.
Is this thing on?
I went to the beach the other day and saw a Praying Mantis, see even I can make up something.
This little friend met me by the beach. See how easy that was.
Paul B
NJRC Member
It seems my 24 hour worm bath did nothing to eliminate of drown flies. As a matter of fact, I think there are more flies now than before and if I look close I could swear they have SCUBA fins on.
Now i will try a 48 hour "bath" and if that doesn't work I will just collect all the worms I can and make a new culture. I don't want to do that because it will take forever to collect a lot of worms with no dirt as I feel fly larvae or eggs may get into my new culture. Maybe I will just play RAP music near the worms and see if the flies croak first.
Before me anyway.
Now i will try a 48 hour "bath" and if that doesn't work I will just collect all the worms I can and make a new culture. I don't want to do that because it will take forever to collect a lot of worms with no dirt as I feel fly larvae or eggs may get into my new culture. Maybe I will just play RAP music near the worms and see if the flies croak first.
Before me anyway.