A Lesson from the Fishes

Happy Friday, everyone!

As y'all may know from Facebook and Instagram, I set up my aquarium this weekend. 
29 gallons of Amazon River happiness. 

The tank is still cycling, so we'll see if everyone makes it through these critical next few weeks, but for now we have 2 striped angel fish, 6 lamp-eye tetras, and 6 cory catfish (3 different varieties: 1 green, 1 julii, and 4 sterbai...we kind of bought all the leftovers at the pet shop).

I knew that these fish were very different from each other (even though angels, tetras, and corys are a pretty common community tank combo), but since this is my first community tank, I'd never had the opportunity to see how different species reacted when introduced to a tank . 

By the end of the day, I had a few thoughts:

Tetras

My apologies that they are so far away, but they are shockingly camera shy. Just trying to get this shot was an adventure--the angels love to hog the limelight!

So how did they handle their big ol' home?
As soon as the dropped in they just started puttering around like it was no big deal. They've explored some since, but they were overall pretty nonplussed by the whole thing.  

Angelfish

We call this guy Quatro (he has 4 stripes), and we also have Trip (3 stripes). Quatro is certainly the dominant one and has decided that he loves the camera...though he hasn't quite figured out how to hold still. haha. 

Anyway, these guys are about the size of a quarter and already growing. Quatro has shown mild signs of aggression (that dominance thing), so we're hoping that doesn't become an issue as he gets bigger (they'll both be bigger than my hand at full size). But let me tell you, that tough guy act was NOT a thing the night we put them both in the tank. They both had freaking panic attacks. If I hadn't been so worried about them adjusting well, it would have been funny. They had been moved from a crowded, bare store tank to my wonderfully planted Amazonian haven...and they were having a cow. It was ridiculous. 

Cory Cats

 If you are not an aquarist, this may be  the first time you've heard of "cory cats." Corys are catfish and members of the family Corydoras. They are small, usually growing to 2-3 inches in length, and they are much more active and diurnal than many other catfish. They are very peaceful and prefer to life in schools. Really, they're like a bunch of swimming puppies. 

The top photo is of my Green Cory and the bottom is a Julii Cory (We also have 4 sterbai--they look a lot like the Julii, but without the black dorsal and the stripes on the side). I bought the Green Cory first because he was just so active and playful, and we got the rest to keep him company. 

Unlike the tetras who took everything in stride or the angels who panicked, the corys seemed to embrace being introduced to a new home. As if on an adventure, they immediately began to explore their new tank and make themselves at home. It was only a day or so until I found they'd dug quite a hole against one of the logs to give themselves a new hidey hole, and I've found them everywhere from under the java fern to lounging on the Amazon Sword leaves. I often find them swimming excited laps or all piled together in a corner. 

So, what's the point?
Here's the point:
I want to be like the corys. 
I don't want to act like life is either no big deal or the scariest ride ever. 
I want to admit that I may not know or understand it all and embrace new things with a bit of excitement, making a conscious decision to focus on the learning, growing, and process of life rather than a race for perfection. 
I want to focus on the good stuff. For example, corys typically prefer to school with their own species, but we couldn't find 6 of any one species, so we just bought all the oddballs--and they all seem to be getting along just fine. They'd rather have 5 other corys of 2 other species than be alone I suppose. I want to embrace the folks in my life without expecting them to be perfect or just like me. I just want to do life together, each teaching and learning. 

As I told y'all, I recently started a job as "Mary Poppins" for a teen girl and her teen brother. We've been spending the last few weeks learning how to do life together. They and their dad keep talking about stuff that I'm teaching them, but let me tell you--I am learning so much and being so blessed by these kiddos. They ask me to plan and be patient; they ask me to try new things so we can figure out paths to success; they ask me to walk away from my homework for Apples to Apples or biking, or just a story. They ask me to laugh and love and, most of all, just be with them. They ask me to make time and room in my schedule, my thoughts, and my heart for them. We're not just alike; none of us are perfect. But, like corys, we're finding friends and safe places and room to swim and time to discover, and those are treasures. 

Keep calm and Cory on. ;-) 

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK  
   

Studio Update: Knits and Paintings

Greetings from The Studio!

In this case, I mean not only my studio, but also our home, recently christened The Studio because of the way my arting space is central in our new place. 

If you've been following the shop or any of my social media, you know a lot of things have happened in the last week or so. Here's an overview of all the latest shop items!

Custom Order Watercolor Painting

 This listing is for one custom order painting from a photograph (or an idea. ie: "I would like a painting of a field and barn." I can make that happen!).

Subjects can include:
Pets
Animals
People (faceless only)
Cityscapes
Landscapes
Homes (or other buildings)
Flowers, trees, etc.

Sizes range from 4x6 inches to 11x14 inches. 

The photos above are examples of the kind of work I can do--I love creating custom paintings!!


Tree of Life Fingerless Gloves
 I have been wearing a pair of these for the past two winters, and I looooove them. I recently worked out a deal with the pattern designer so that I can offer them to YOU in my shop. 

Mine are moss green and knit from wonderful soft wool. But, I can knit them in any number of colors for you! They come in two sizes: S/M and M/L. 
 (Photos courtesy of the wonderful designer, Jenny Williams)

 

Snow Day: A Mixed Media Painting

If y'all have been following the news, we got a lot of snow and ice here in Atlanta this week. 

This piece was inspired by the view outside my new studio. It was also a lovely foray into mixed media art, using permanent pen, watercolor, and oil pastel. It is 12x7 inches. 


Celtic Cable Knitted Mug Cozies

These originated from a custom order, and I loved them so much, that I just had to put them up in my shop.

 

 There are two colors listed, hopefully with more to come soon. If you are just itching for a different color in the meanwhile, all you have to do is ask! 

Last one, y'all:

Kissing Gouramis: Watercolor Pencil Drawing

These fish compete for dominance through lip-locking...

...but I think they're a pretty cute idea for your fish loving honey, too! 

Remember, Valentine's Day is coming! :-) 

Adventure well; Live fully.

HAK

Studio Update: gloves, mug cozies, and cichlids.

Hey y'all!

It's been a good week in my studio, and I wanted to let y'all behind the scenes. 

As y'all know, I drew a lionfish earlier this week. In case you missed it, check out the drawing here. 

It's winter, as even Georgia has been reminding us lately, so I've been knitting lots (as often as I can thaw out my fingers, that is. ha!) 

As posted, I started a new set of gloves for myself. And, TA-DA! The first is finished!!

Must keep knitting. The sooner that second glove is done, the sooner my hands will be warm again!

I've been knitting something else, too. Mug cozies! They're going to be fabulous. 

And, last but not least, another drawing. I'm loving my watercolor pencils. These are Regal Peacock Cichlids, native to Lake Malawi in East Africa. 

 If you want to learn more about this piece, click here to head over to Etsy!

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK

10 Reasons To Love the Tennessee Aquarium

This is a little off the beaten path for my blog, but if this is really all about adventures, I guess it works. I'm wrapping up my second year as an aquarium member and excited to start my third. I've mentioned my love of fish on here before (If you don't remember, refresh yourself on this fun post.). I've been reviving it a bit lately (compliments of Season 4 of River Monsters with Jeremy Wade. If you haven't seen it, learn more here.), and thinking about why I love the Tennessee Aquarium so much. So, here we go:

The pointed, glass roofs in the center are the aquarium.

Photo Credit: John Knight

1) It's HUGE. Two big ol' buildings, River Journey and Ocean Journey. Each building is probably 4 or 5 stories high--I've been a dozen or more times, and it still takes me several hours to walk through all the exhibits.

2) River Journey is a wonderful blend of small, regional tanks and bigger exhibits. Since my fishy obsession is freshwater, I really like the extra attention given to this 40% of the world's fish. 

3) Speaking of River Journey, let's talk about the RIVER GIANTS exhibit. It opened in April 2012, holds nearly 90,000 gallons of water, and is home to some awesomely large fish. My favorite is the Arapaima. 

Learn more about it, the other giants, and the exhibit HERE.

Photo from the Tennessee Aquarium website

4) Another special exhibit is the river otters. Currently under renovation, this exhibit will reopen in Spring 2014 with "3x the otters and 3x the space." I'm more than a little excited. 

Photo from the Tennessee Aquarium website

5) Other super-cool non-fishy exhibits include macaws, butterflies, various (often very large) reptiles (including LOTS of turtles), and penguins. I love this because it reminds us of all the other critters who live in, on, or near water, and it draws our attention to ecosystems as a whole, not just individual species.

6) Speaking of ecosystems, the Tennessee Aquarium is extremely involved in freshwater conservation. This makes a lot of sense since the Aquarium is on the TN River, and wonderfully set up to work in that environment. Exhibits like the sturgeon tank and the Barron's Top Minnow Lab remind aquarium goers that the facility is about research and conservation, not just entertainment. I love that visitors can pet the sturgeons and see the Lab because it brings them closer to understanding the fragility, importance, and beauty of preserving our waterways and their inhabitants. 

7) Touch Tanks. There's one in each building: the sturgeons that I already mentioned above located in the River Journey, and the stingray tank in Ocean Journey. I like these for the cool factor, but also because, again, they help folks connect with these animals, fostering concern rather than fear. I don't believe that the "needs" of wildlife should come before human life (ie: we're not going back to living in tents), but I do think we are called to be stewards and protectors of the earth who use resources wisely and do our best to preserve the wonderful variety and balance of God's creation. 

8) Freshwater Rays. Did you know there are a variety of freshwater rays living in rivers like the Amazon and Mekong? Amazonian rays are colorful and moderately sized. Mekong giant rays are just that--GIANT! 

Dr. Zeb Hogan with one heck of a ray. 

Learn more about him here.

 Photo from the Tennessee Aquarium website

 9) Jellyfish. Ocean Journey is dominated by a large salt water tank and lots and lots of jelly fish tanks. I had know idea there was such variety-- including upside down jellies and even black jellies! 

10) The main attraction of Ocean Journey: The big salt water tank. Sharks and fish everywhere! It's wonderful! Fun fact, did you know that bull sharks breed in freshwater and can be found 50+ miles inland in many of the world's rivers? Yikes! 

There you have it folks! Next time you're in Chattanooga, you really should visit the aquarium. If you live within a couple hours, it's worth the day trip, too. It's my favorite part of this city, and this top 10 list only scratches the surface of all the wonderful things about it! 

Adventure well; Live fully. 

HAK