J1 (Ruffles) - I have this picture blown up to an 11x17 on the wall of our guest room (which has pretty much become the whale room - lol). This photo was taken of him by the Center for Whale Research in 2008 - the summer I lived on the island.Hey all,
Yes, it's been a while. This wedding planning thing can get a bit out of control. I've been really busy getting ready for that as well as getting our house prepared for company. We had an exhausting morning working on our backyard, although it totally paid off because it looks great! Sharon and Grandad helped design our seating area and Sharon potted flowers for us. It's much brighter and much happier... I'm really looking forward to entertaining and reading outside on our lovely furniture. I can't wait to show it off! (I don't want to add pictures so that you can be surprised.)
In some island news... J2 (aka Granny) is turning 100 this summer (or at least we think she might be). I really wish I could be at the island to celebrate it with friends, but I'm celebrating her life in spirit. Speaking of celebrating life... the first wild killer whale I ever saw, J1, passed away at the end of last year/beginning of this year. He was a special whale, not only because he was the first I saw, but also because he was so easy to identify. Pretty much everyone who has been to the islands has heard of or seen J1. I have pictures up of him in the house... in fact... he's been on my wall since I was 8 years old in various photos. This was a hard loss for me, the islanders, the researchers, and the Southern Resident Community. We believe J1 may have been the most prolific sire within the community and the loss of him will result in a loss of genetic diversity among the calves. I'm definitely going to be sad the next time I go to the islands, just knowing that I won't be able to see him. I'm also sad that my kids will never be awed by the beauty of J1 in person. However, his memory will live on in my pictures, stories, and in his offspring and their offspring.So... here's to J1: I'll never forget our first meeting and our last goodbye. So long old friend.
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