I’m not sure what to make of fish. I love sitting next to the tank with my 100 mm macro lens waiting for the orange fish to slide into my viewfinder.

I’ve been around fish for much of my life, but they are something of a mystery to me. I don’t know how smart they are, the orange fish knows my voice, I think, and Maria’s, when she hears it, she rushes to the surface looking for food.

It is calming to watch her glide down into the thicket of plants that grow at the bottom of our 29 gallon tank. I like the sense of calm and ease she projects, she is not a fancy fish, but a simple fish.

She is hardly and adaptable, like a good working dog. I don’t know if she has a consciousness or not, but I like the simplicity of her life and her ability to glide. I’d like to be able to do that.