DEATH BY THE DOZENS

I'm a regular customer at McSwain's Sport Shop. I buy minnows there all the time. Sometimes crickets as well. Occasionally, even worms.

And I am NOT a fisherman.

The minnows are for several species of turtles in my collection which will only eat live fish. The crickets are for my lizards -- actually GECKOS -- which eat insects. The species of geckos I keep will also feed on flower nectar in the wild. In captivity, I substitute baby food, which I get at the grocery store. I'd have "one-stop-shopping" if McSwain's would stock baby food.

The guys who work at McSwain's all know me & why I'm buying. I like to say I'm dealing in ... "Death by the dozens". It's true.

I do get questions quite often from other shoppers in McSwain's, usually along the lines of ... "What ya fishin fer" ?? Naturally, I get the weird looks when I tell them I'm raising & feeding turtles.

With the birds the cats catch -- there are feathers on the front porch right now -- & all the bugs & "minnas" getting devoured at this location, it seems death -- is a common thing. It's just a fact of nature for the animals I have.

Still, some "deaths" around here are dealt with on a different level. Sometimes I have to make the decision to end suffering & speed up the process of dying. I had to face that today.

I knew it was coming ... so it's not a shock really. It's not like I expected to have it around forever. After all ... forty years old can be a good life for some. I'll bet that age -- knowing how it can be now days -- had to be considered "old age", but, making the decision & saying: "That's it ... I'm not going to let you go on like this ... knowing the effort you are making. It's over. In the trash you go".

After 40 years of faithful service ... gallons of margaritas ... whipping up smoothies & frothy eggs, my Waring Blender has finally had it's motor silenced. Time for a new one.

Good bye, old friend !!

My Dad bought the blender as a gift during a visit with me & my wife back in Memphis, about 40 years ago. He drove down from New York State by himself, as Mom was on one of her frequent visits back in England. If I remember correctly, we got it in a store across from Southland Mall, which may have been a Service Merchandise store.

And, YES ... when my wife [Nancy] & I split up, I did get the blender. That's about all I got, other than the shaft.

I doubt if the next blender I buy will last 40 years ... but, I sure would like to be around to see if it does.