How's the fish

Soundtrack (I should do this more often): "Nitty Gritty Surround," Jimmy Ibbotson & John McEuen with Jennifer Warnes.

While searching for some Favre art on my hard drive the other day, I found my fish icon and realized I haven't offered an update about the little guy who, back in March of ought-seven, I thought was thinking of making a premature departure from this earthly plane.

(Question: Is it "earthly plane" or "earthly plain"? I suppose it depends on whether you're flying or sowing corn ...)

The short answer is no pond fish have left the premises for some time now. This particular fish, you may recall, was lying on his side on the bottom whenever I approached the horse trough where we keep our finned friends during the freezing-water months. I thought he might be on his last, err, legs, but every time I tossed food into the water, he would jump up, struggle to the surface and eat like a fishy pig.

Nowadays, he is the most active guy in the pond, almost always scooting around and exploring his environs. It's interesting: I almost never find him down at the bottom during the spring, summer and fall, when he has plants and blue sky above him. But he does seem to sulk at the bottom of the trough, when he lives by artificial basement light.

Is this little white creature with a flash of red behind his gills subject to depression? Is his outdoors exuberance the equivalent of singing "You can't take the sky from me"? Or am I guilty of anthropomorphism?

Whatever. It's summer. The fish is having a ball.