Fish anniversary

Black Friday marks the the 3rd anniversary of our goldfish's homecoming.  After three unsuccessful attempts in as many weeks to populate the 5-gallon fish tank Emily got as a birthday present following our dog, Cheney, being put to sleep, I ran into a college student working late at Wal-mart who taught me a thing or two about goldfish.  He kindly picked out a decent one from the $.38 tank that didn't have any obvious flaws and sent me home with more accessories.  The rest is history.  With almost weekly tank cleaning and a proper feeding schedule, along with no tank mates, the fish has flourished and has more than tripled in size into something quite beautiful.  He/she measures almost 5" long to the tip of the tail fin. 

The funny thing about the fish is that up until recently it has not had a name, and I have primarily been the sole caretaker.  About 6 weeks ago, Emily suddenly decided the fish was a girl and named her "Rachel" after her best friend at school.  It is now Emily's responsibility to make sure the fish is fed after breakfast.

I have actually become somewhat attached to this fish and will probably be sad when she finally goes belly up.  Until then, she is the perfect, quiet, low-maintenance pet that brightens up our kitchen!