The summer is barely a few weeks old and already it’s proving to be one of the best I can remember. The sun is shining and the waters at the various beaches around the city are cool and inviting. Not only that but the fish are jumping! At least the ones in the lakes are enjoying themselves. It’s a different story at home.
Both Mitchell and Sylvia have their own aquariums and the heat during the day has brought the temperatures of the tanks to exceedingly high levels. Now, as much as I love my kids, if it were left to them we’d be looking at fish stew. Neither child is what could be considered attentive when it comes to the care of their little pets. If it weren’t for Lydia the toilet would have claimed several victims over the last few days.
“Did you check the thermometer?” she asked Mitchell on one of the hotter days.
“Yep, it was 81 degrees,” he replied. Thankfully, this was in Fahrenheit! The Imperial system still clings on. (I’m sure I could find a Star Trek joke in there.)
“I just checked it and it was 84,” Lydia informed him.
“I looked half an hour ago,” he insisted. “Wait, what day is today?”
“Friday,” she said.
“Oh, then it was yesterday,” he told her.
Shaking her head, Lydia added cooler water to the tank and angled the fan so that it would keep the waters from boiling.
I sympathized with the poor fish. My other job called for me to sit for a few hours in a parked non-air-conditioned car with the windows barely cracked. Within minutes I was reduced to a horrible dripping mess. In the Marvel universe I would be known as The Incredible Melting Man. I did have access to water and could, if things got really bad, exit the car. These options, it should be noted, are not available to our fine furry friends who are all-too-frequently locked in what becomes a mobile sauna.
So, if I may be a little preachy, let’s enjoy the wonderful weather but, at the same time, be cognizant of the effect it may have on those in our care.
atoal@ns.sympatico.ca
Kevin Toal is a freelance writer who hopes no child or animal is harmed by the thoughtless actions of others.
