FIREQUEST TORCHWORKS: August 2007

Saturday, August 18, 2007

EBAY LISTINGS ENDING MONDAY, AUGUST 20TH

Here we are again. Summer is speeding by and I'm afraid to say that I'm starting to think of Christmas! I know many of you will be thinking of making presents and readying stock for your seasonal sales too. We're going to try to keep up production so as to supply your needs and only need to advise you that I will be taking a week and a half off in late September to visit my Mom for her 80th birthday (happy birthday to mum, happy birthday to mum...) so unless we can get enough done before then, there might be a slight gap for a week......just fyi.

LIFE IS WONDERFUL, ENJOY YOUR SUMMER,

BE GOOD TO YOURSELF!

See more below.

Please click on the images for a larger view.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

The Little Rascals - Our Gang

HERE'S DARLA

I just have to introduce you to the new babies in our house. Three little Figure-Eight Pufferfish - the real things! Excuse me guys, the real fish.

If any of you remember or know your film history (way back to black and white), you may know the Hal Roach films of "Spanky and Our Gang" with Alfalfa, Darla, Spanky, Buckwheat, Mickey (little Robert Blake), Spike, and Butch. I bring these up because as I tried to find names for my new three little keepers, somehow the Little Rascal's names seemed most appropriate. Neither the Three Stooges or the Marx Brothers would work. So here they are.

These puffers are freshwater fish that do best in brackish water - slightly salty like a tidal marsh or river estuary. They'll only grow to about 2 - 3 inches. And they're little predators. No fish flakes for these guys. Yummmm, fresh shrimp, crab, snails and thank goodness frozen krill. I find I'm not really into live feeding so they'll have to live with fresh frozen or what I bring them from the local fresh fish store "Portugese Joe's" down on Dyke Road. And boy do they like to eat! Darla won't touch anything unless she thinks it's swimming. So I have to hang a krill on a clip and dangle it to fool her. Spanky - true to his namesake is a bottom feeder. Whatever anybody misses, Spanky gets. And then Alf (Alfalfa) will take it anyway he can. So twice a day while they're young we have a little feeding frenzy party. As predators, these fish can swivel their eyes around to the front and look a bit like the Raptor in Jurassic Park. See the picture of Darla? Now think of JP - see? maybe I just have a weird imagination...whatever, I'm easy to amuse.

Already they've given me lots of new ideas and insight into fish moves and details.

SPANKY