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, and I was deeply saddened. 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 took an art class at Whatcom Community College.  The class took a field trip to the museum where they celebrate the raven taxidermy each year is an Edgar Alan Poe vein. They also celebrate the swan who is lovingly called “Sparky”.  This swan is woven throughout our lives over almost 20 years. It is truly incredible.