Why goldfish will never rule the world

"Somebody's coming! Quick! Let's all hide under the snapping turtle!"

Incidentally, you'll notice that, since Howard moved out to the back deck for the summer, he's grown a lovely crop of algae on his back and tail. He's enjoying the larger pool and deeper water, and the occasional goldfish, since he's in training for next summer and the introduction of harsh cruel reality in which people don't come by and drop chunks of meat in front of your nose.

Despite being forced to catch his own dinner, however, he still expects good things from human beings, which is a matter of some concern. I was bringing him in at night because of the risk of raccoons and skunks, but he became so comfortable with being handled that I quit after a week and, instead, put a screen over the pool at night and hope anyone trying to break in makes enough noise to rouse the dogs.

Here, Howard is watching me hang laundry, or at least he was until I saw him looking up and paused to take a camera out of my pocket. (His pool is on the wooden raised platform where the laundry line runs to the barn, so I was standing over him. And I always have a camera in my pocket in case something newsworthy jumps out in front of me. Or in case I find a small turtle staring at me.)

I cropped this picture a little wide so you could check out the design on the flower pot that currently serves as his cave. I don't think he'll get that kind of decor out in the wide, wild world, either.