Hermie and Crabby...

Sunday, January 4, 2009
are our hermit crabs. My niece Colette bought them for the girls in August 2008 during our week long annual family vacation to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. As with any pet, the girls couldn't get enough of the crabs. They watched them constantly, played with them, moved them from cage to cage. Once we were back in New Jersey, the hermit crabs were soon forgotten.

Hermit crabs live in captivity for about six months. We are nearing the six month mark. This makes me nervous. A hermit crab dying could be a significant event in this house. Crabby is showing signs of slowing down. He used to climb the cage and circle it several times a day. I haven't seen him do that in weeks. Hermie went MIA for 3 days a few months ago after Harper let him out of his cage. I feared the worst and gave up hope of finding him when I saw him crawling on a toy. Whew! Now Hermie seems to be the one with all the vigor.

However small and however insignificant a crustacean is, it's loss will still be felt by the girls. We'll mourn him for a few days. And after the mourning period ends, I'll bet that we will make a trip to the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk to buy another one!

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