2013 Trip to Poplar Island

These photos are from a field trip I took last year (18 months ago) to a facility that my Agency helps operate called Poplar Island.

Jennilyn posted about it in 2012, when I went with Jennilyn, Sam, Roxie Jane and Suzu.

Suzanna looking out the window, then looking at the photographer.

This is one of the reasons I held the photos for this long.  I was always hoping to have some good news, and then some stable good news about Max before talking about him.  Now, I've waited too long, and have only memories of him to post.  Which is a good enough reason to write.  I told him he could invite a friend, and he brought Devin (with whom Max lived for about four months last year).

Grandpa John came too.

Here, we are standing in a fully reclaimed cell; the island is divided into different zones, and built to replicate specific types of marshy or bay-oriented habitat.  It was cold and windy.

This is a photo of an old effort made to "save" Poplar island.  Erosion had reduced the island to less than the size of a 1/2 acre houselot, and the first effort to stem the erosion involved scuttling several barges around the remaining island.  The original plan was to remove them, but so many animals have moved into the barges, they've been allowed to remain in place.

There is almost nothing as heartbreaking for me now as seeing a photo of Max candidly, lucidly smiling.  I miss him so much.

I love how Suzanna is willing to put herself in interesting places. 

On the way home from the island, the transport boat got hung up on a sandbar for about fifteen minutes.  I told Devin he totally needed to phone in that excuse for being late for work.  How many times do you get to call in stranded?

It was a good day.  It's a good memory.  I guess it's bittersweet, but nearly all of my memories are bittersweet now.  That is the inevitable outcome of mortality.  We love, we serve, we hurt, but we love anyway.

I will try to clear out this backlog of photos, of memories.  It is good to revisit, retouch them.  It is good to remember.  Even if it hurts it is good to love.