La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
I don’t know about San Geraldo but I was so excited yesterday when we got in a taxi to take us to another fish (aquarium) store in town, this one nearly 4 km / 2.5 m from us. The taxi driver didn’t speak, not even to great us, and he drove like the New York cabbies I remember. He took turns on two wheels and ignored a few red lights. When we arrived, he finally spoke, “It’s closed. It’s a holiday.”
I’ve been saying Dammit a lot lately. I suppose it’s better than what I usually say. Monday was Spain National Day, also known as Día de la Hispanidad (“Spanishness” Day). Of course, I should have realized. It’s the same as Columbus Day in the States, which I understand is now Indigenous Peoples Day in many parts of the country. I really do need to keep better track of local news and events. So, we immediately returned home in the same taxi. We’ll try again another day this week, returning I think to the shop SG has already been using which is half the distance.
SG has the water chemistry settled and it has been testing perfectly for several days now. The first live seafood, I mean sea life, he plans to get are the clean-up crew: several shrimp and one, maybe two, snails. We’ve been awed by the variety of shrimp options. The colors are exciting. SG wants small shrimp but hasn’t decided which to get. It depends on what’s available in the shops as he doesn’t want to risk getting them by mail.
He did find a shrimp that we both fell in love with. Unfortunately, it didn’t make it to the list. Other than the fact that dragon shrimp can grow to be six inches in length, their larvae require brackish salt water to grow for several months before being returned to the tank. Much too big and much too complicated. Still, they sure are beautiful with front legs that look like delicate fans (as you can see above, and in today’s video).
No sé qué pensaría San Geraldo, pero yo estaba muy entusiasmada ayer cuando tomamos un taxi para ir a otra tienda de peces (acuarios) de la ciudad, situada a casi 4 km de donde estamos. El taxista no dijo ni una palabra, ni siquiera para saludarnos, y conducía como los taxistas de Nueva York que recuerdo: tomaba las curvas a dos ruedas y se saltó un par de semáforos en rojo. Al llegar, por fin habló: «Está cerrado. Es festivo».
Últimamente digo mucho «maldita sea». Supongo que es mejor que lo que suelo decir. El lunes fue la Fiesta Nacional de España, también conocida como Día de la Hispanidad. Claro, debería haberme dado cuenta. Es lo mismo que el Día de Colón en Estados Unidos, que, según tengo entendido, ahora se celebra como el Día de los Pueblos Indígenas en muchas partes del país. Realmente necesito estar más al tanto de las noticias y los eventos locales. Así que regresamos a casa inmediatamente en el mismo taxi. Lo intentaremos de nuevo otro día de esta semana; creo que volveremos a la tienda que SG ya conoce, que está a la mitad de distancia.
SG ya tiene controlada la química del agua y los análisis han dado resultados perfectos durante varios días seguidos. Los primeros animales vivos —quiero decir, vida marina— que planea adquirir son los del «equipo de limpieza»: varias gambas y uno o tal vez dos caracoles. Nos ha maravillado la variedad de opciones de gambas; sus colores son fascinantes. SG quiere gambas pequeñas, pero aún no ha decidido cuáles comprar. Depende de lo que haya disponible en las tiendas, ya que no quiere arriesgarse a pedirlas por correo.
Encontró una gamba que nos encantó a los dos, pero, por desgracia, no pasó la selección final. Aparte de que las gambas dragón pueden llegar a medir seis pulgadas (unos 15 cm) de largo, sus larvas requieren agua salobre para desarrollarse durante varios meses antes de poder devolverlas al acuario. Demasiado grandes y demasiado complicado. Aun así, son realmente hermosos, con patas delanteras que parecen abanicos delicados (como se puede ver arriba y en el video de hoy).
• Mientras San Geraldo esté bajo el agua, tal vez encuentre alguna propiedad para reformar.
• Esta es una de mis propiedades favoritas para reformar. Lo que ves aquí es solo alrededor de un tercio de la fachada; a la derecha, fuera de la vista, hay un jardín amurallado. Se encuentra en una calle principal tranquila, por lo que, desde la parte trasera de la casa, se disfruta de una vista despejada: la siguiente calle queda a un nivel inferior equivalente a más de una altura de vivienda. Le he dado muchas vueltas a esto.
• Las renovaciones de estos edificios y del que aparece más abajo están muy avanzadas.
Arent they pretty!!!! You two but be the first i know you’d have shrimp in there tank. Plus if you get hungry….shrimp cocktail!!!! Joke aside they are interesting to watch and the bluefish variety are so neat.
Mistress Maddie,
And I even know how to butterfly them!
I was thinking six inches in length, those will cook nicely at that size. But you want a dozen or so of them. The blue shell is very pretty. A couple of the fixer uppers appear to be missing a roof tile or two.
Davis,
I thought the same thing. Although I wonder how it would feel to eat a bright. Lue shrimp. Yeah, the fixer-uppers are more like starter-overs.
People pay a huge price for rare blue lobsters.
David:
People pay a big price for blue aquarium shrimp. It’s crazy. When I had my fish tanks, I think I spent about 25 cents for a fish. Of course, that was before the advent of electricity.
Alas, I could not see the video. But the photo of the blue fan-dancing dragon shrimp is pretty spectacular!
Debra,
Sorry. I didn’t realize it was a TikTok. I don’t even have TikTok. I’ve replaced it and hope the new one works for you. It’s better than the first anyway.
OMG, it’s doing a FAN DANCE! How burlesque of it! Too bad you can’t have one in your tank.
Debra:
Aren’t they amazing? Yes, too bad. They’re so large that they really could be in a tank by themselves. Just fan dancers!
I did enjoy the pretty blue shrimp but you know me … the architecture and chance to renovate an old building get my blood pumping, especially House 2!
Oy!
Bob,
After our first house, we vowed to never again buy a fixer upper. We stuck to that but oh how I dream.
I love that blue colour on the shrimp! I’m surprised they didn’t get the name “abanico” shrimp with those fan-shaped filters.
A “do-er-upper” with no roof (in fact probably just a frontage)? I think not. Jx
Jon,
They have so many common names but, you’re right, it’s surprising “fan” is not one of them.
But there’s a sideage, too! Imagine. And imagine having all the money in the world to do with it whatever you want.
I now have to fill in a form, name, rank, serial number, mother’s maiden name, favorite pet, all sorts of stuff before I can comment. Wp seems to have changed its guest commenting. Never mind, I will persist. The taxi driver was eager to get his double fare, not mentioning your destination was closed! Gah. The fish saga is getting dramatic. Boud
Liz Adams Boud,
Tomorrow an eye scan will be required. Do you have the serial number for Hippolyta on hand?
I actually have the numbers for my cataract lenses! I’ll check before I get back.
Six inches? That’s cooking size. A pretty blue though.
Those are some rough buildings. I can’t imagine what it would take to renovate. A roof for sure.
Ellen Abbott,
Yes, cooking size! These renovations are constant. Normal for contractors here and tend to be done beautifully. They usually add roofs!
A very long time ago there was a radio commercial (ad?) for a local aquarium store that I’ll never forget. It went on for awhile about how cool having fish in a tank is and then the guy said something like, “And if things don’t work out for some reason…” followed by the sound of something sizzling in a pan of oil.
So, yeah.
Those shrimp are pretty amazing but that does sound very complicated.
Oh, come on, Mitchell! Does a house really need a roof? Make the entire thing one big, beautiful courtyard. You can pitch a tent for when it rains. I know you have experience with that.
Mary Moon,
We don’t need no stinking’ roof! We don’t need no stinkin’ tent neither! We’d need a hotel room!
I’ve fallen for that shrimp, too.
Spanish graffiti looks remarkably like United states graffiti. Must be an international language.
Kirk,
Spanish graffiti can also be in English. Impossible to tell the difference. I love the restorations when they discover 1,000-year-old graffiti.
That blue shrimp is so pretty! Creepy, but pretty. My house is a cleaner upper in a constant state of flux.
Deedles,
If you think the blue shrimp is creepy, you should see the see-thru ones!
Holy cow, that blue guy is gorgeous! What a shame that he/she can’t come and live with you guys.
Judy C,
SG could always just do a tank of shrimp.
Too bad SG went with a marine aquarium because a freshwater one could have supported a Plecostomus, the best algae clean-up crew around! If SG is not set on shrimp and snails, I’m sure there are marine fish species that could be an efficient algae clean-up crew too!
Tundra Bunny,
SG has a tropical aquarium. But even the aquarium variety of plecostomus is much bigger than he wants. Also the substrate he used is no good for that kind of clean up crew. That’s why he’s focused on shrimp and snails. He’s done his research. Had he known about the problem with the substrate he would have made a different choice, although it’s the favorite of the shop owner.
Love fish tanks!
And the cleaning crew is absolutely necessary. It’ll eat up all the algae and detritus. I have a friend who literally just left the cleaning crew in the tank and dedicated himself to getting awesome plants.
XOXO
Sixpence,
Jerry already has the awesome plants. Lots of people just have cleanup crew. Some beautiful options.
That’s a beautiful blue shrimp — almost a lobster. What’s the difference between a shrimp and a lobster, anyway? Just size?
Steve:
Funny you should ask. I was wondering the same thing yesterday! Size, yes, the largest shrimp is no bigger than the smallest lobster; lobsters crawl and walk, shrimp swim and skim. Lobsters live in salt water, shrimp in both fresh and salt. Shrimp don’t have large claws. Shrimp are soft; lobsters are rigid. And then, of course, the bodies are completely different. Other than that…