When I meet Jenny and Miss Adeline at the Rain Forest in the Mall of America for lunch, our favorite table is next to the large colorful aquarium.  The odd shapes, brilliant colors, and strange eyes of the saltwater fish give new meaning to the term "multicultural diversity."  They also reinforce the proposition that the walleye on the menu is a fish out of water.
When I was at Pat and Michelle's in Chanhassen last week, to enjoy friends and a beautiful summer's eve on their deck, I was attracted to an aquarium in their home.  As I watched Michelle feed the fish and tell about their various habits, I was reminded of our son's aquarium.
When Nick bought his own townhome a  few years ago at Maple Grove, one of the first things he purchased for his living room was an aquarium.  Not just an aquarium, mind you, but also the paraphernalia that makes it function properly -- heater, aerator, green plants, lights, camera, action.
All of which brings me to the old days when Allan and I lived in a duplex in Mound.  We, too, had an aquarium, and I prided myself on learning which fish lived well together and what their various aquarium duties might be.  We visited fish shops in the area to find the healthiest varieties and most knowledgeable shop-keeper.
Some of the familiar names were angel fish, piranhas, gouramis, glass suckers, guppies, oscars ... but I can't for the life of me recall the name of the one that jumped out of our aquarium one night and was stiffer than a board the next morning when I found him on the carpet about five feet away from his living quarters.  I do know that it was a relatively expensive fish -- like $10.  Ouch!  Guppies, which propagated like rabbits, were much cheaper.
Speaking of $10, that's how much you get if you find the fishhook hidden in each and every issue of the Gazette and get your name drawn from the minnow bucket.  This time the winner is Patty Johnson of Chanhassen.  The fishhook was hidden in the pants leg of the clown in the Brown's Auto Wash ad.  Congratu-lations, Patty!  Good eye, good eye!
There's another fishhook hidden in this issue of the Gazette and I'm not clownin'.  If you spy the sharp little thing, drop a line to me at Box 387, Victoria, MN 55386 and sinker in the mail or you can also email Sue@VictoriaGazette.com and let me know where I put it.  Some-times I hide it so well that I have to wait until I hear from you before I find it again.
Meanwhile, don't forget to feed the fish before you hop in bed tonight.  And keep the lid on your aquarium.  There's nothing quite so shocking as finding a  dead fish in the middle of your living room.