I'm not real sure how old I was when my dad decided to buy an aquarium . . . maybe intermediate-school age . . . maybe younger. We stocked it with guppies from Palolo Stream. It was a fun project.
But eventually my dad got deployed off to Vietnam, and the care of the fish and the fish tank was left to us kids . . . which means nobody took care of them.
After awhile the aquarium got put outside on the back porch.
The water slowly evaporated until only scattered small pools remained. One day I noticed some movement in one of the pools. It was a black guppy. And it was still alive. I didn't think there were any fish left in the tank. I couldn't believe it.
I put some water in a jar, and I put the fish in it. The fish was so happy. He did loops and circles and probably woulda done a dolphin flip if he could've. For real.
13 comments:
Cute story! I love your last shot with you holding the bottle with the guppy inside.
Izsmom
I like how you’re holding the glass jar with the guppy in it. Look up 3D artist Sushant Rane: )
love this!
j: and??? what happened to the guppy? -N
When I was a kid my friend and I would sneak out of Sunday school at Honolulu First Church of the Nazarene on Judd Street. We would go to the Nuuanu stream that was right behind our church and catch cray fish and frogs.The fish were too fast. Looking back, I wish I brought a bucket so I could take the crayfish home and have Mom cook them for us. I never thought of that because they were so ugly looking I guess. I was 9 years old.
We lived my Kahala beach park at the time. And the was a canal in back of our house. I bought a fishing net at Longs, the small kind with the red net and wooded handle. And I used to catch fish in the stream. I also did crabbing. We would tie a piece of shrimp on the end of a string, then lower that bait down the canal wall to the crabs. They grab on and would not left go. Had a bucket and put them in. But they were so ugly I didn't know if I wanted to eat them. They were those black rock crabs.
I wish growing up I would have got into fishing and spear fishing. I was too busy just going surfing every day.
How cool - you holding the bottle with the happy happy guppy! I used to love catching fish in Palolo Stream. No fear, no dangerous strangers in those days. Just barefoot no need care free fun.
First all Jalna, I want to say thank you for your father's service to our country in Vietnam. I remember a time when streams had crawfish and opai, no more now.
awwww that's sweet!
Izsmom, thanks!
Ho Susan, unreal that Sushant Rane!
Thanks Kat!
N, you so psychic. LOL! I neva like say. A few weeks later I accidentally knocked the jar off the counter and it fell to the floor and shattered, and the fish died. Ack!!
Mark, I love your stories.
Aunty, those were fun times yah!
Awww, thank you, Chet.
Thanks Les.
Thanks Jalna. Sorry for all the typos. I must have been tired. Plus I type with two fingers! .... ; )
All of my memories of Hawaii are awesome. Except for being picked on for being a Haole in school. I guess they didn't know I was Hawaiian at Heart! Since I had been going to Hawaii since I was a baby in 1955! And finally moved full time from Seattle in 1964. I was 9 years old. And I said Thanks DAD for moving us to Paradise!
Mark, sorry you were picked on in school. It's awesome that it didn't ruin your love for Hawaii.
Thanks Jalna. I always knew it was a generational thing going WAY Back. Even to the Captain Cook days! I studied Hawaiian History. I understood it. I knew I may face that. And the kids really did not know what they were doing. They were taught to hate by their parents.
That Summer I turned 15 in 1970, I grew 6 inches! Seriously! Must have been dat good 'ole Meadow Gold Dairy Milk! Suddenly I was six feet tall!
And Nobody ever bothered me again! ..... ; )
And I still love ALL of my Hawaiian Kine brothers and sistah's to this day!
Cute story, you can make your own cartoon strip.
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