In 2016 I was driving in the Skagit farmlands to pick up family and a trumpeter swan flew up from the shoulder and went into the power lines.  It dropped like a stone into the shrubs. Deeply saddened, I made a call to the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife to report it so they could properly address the next steps. I told family members about the encounter and went about life.  In 2021 we were at the Whatcom Museum when someone exclaimed “It’s that bird!”  Upon closer inspection, the placard declared the swan’s fate with the powerlines and everything.  It felt like we were staring at the past.  A sad event was transformed as this beautiful swan could enrich the lives of many in perpetuity with this permanent exhibit.  The other lesson for me was the reminder that we never know how things are connected, and when we take action for another, we might take actions for ourselves.

May 2025 Update:  A family member is taking an art class at college.  The class took a field trip to the museum where they celebrate the taxidermy each year. They brought cake and had a moment of silence for the birds.  She learned the swan is lovingly called “Sparky” by the group.  This swan is woven throughout our lives over almost 20 years. It is truly incredible.