So who would have thought that I would become a Hermit Crab lover? Me....I'm sure the world's biggest arachnophobia, is now the proud owner of two Hermit Crabs. Okay, well it's the kid who owns them officially but let's face it, when a ten year-old owns a pet, the parent "owns" the pet.
How could this happen? Glad you asked! You see, I took my daughter to Houston to visit where I grew up. While on Mommy-Tour 2012, we made a stop at Galveston, my very favorite place to escape from the pressures of teenage life (go ahead, laugh....I'll wait).
On her first venture out into the ocean, I found myself a comfy spot on the beach and marveled at the pure joy my daughter was experiencing leaping over waves and crashing into the water. She laughed and screamed as she performed this dance for about half an hour. Suddenly, she jetted from the water and began stalking something on the sand. You guessed it, her keen little eye had spotted something moving on the beach.
Now before you go on thinking I'm the coolest mom ever and I let her adopt a little dude she found lollygagging on the beach, know that he too must have spotted her and seen her coming because I can now say from experience, Hermit Crabs can move when properly motivated! He was gone before she cleared the water.
Well being one not to disappoint, I figured why not try and fulfill what was surely her crab-destiny. So, off to the biggest tourist trap on the Galveston Coast. We looked and studied the crab options carefully, watching for movement, learning about their personalities until settling on just the perfect specimen. We bought a Sponge Bob painted crab (whom I'm told is a girl.....and no, I haven't checked). We bought our tiny crabitat and headed to our hotel. Much to my surprise, during a moment of post-purchase dismay while surfing the internet, Hermit Crab apparently like to travel in packs. Yes, packs! They are village people!
In the logic that only a ten year-old can employ, it was decided that we must stop at the nearest pet store immediately and purchase a friend as "If she is used to a pack, there's no way she'll make it all the way back to Dallas alone!" And thus my traveling crabitat was born! So my car, loaded to the brim with road trip supplies, a ten year-old, myself and two crabs snugged securely in their traveling cage, which was strategically placed allowing them the best view possible, hit the road for the long journey home.
Once we arrived, we set up a much larger crabitat and placed it on the island in the kitchen where all in the house could partake and marvel in the amazement that is the every day life of a Hermit Crab. And I have to say, after two days of being with them, I have found myself making detours by the kitchen just to check on our new arrivals, Rusty and Willard (names in homage of Footloose no less).
After watching them scamp about, climb on the fake plants and do what I can only imagine is something resembling playing, I believe I see now why they travel in packs, as I guess it's true, it does take a village.
No comments:
Post a Comment