Yes, this is a small embroidered whale on the sleeve of a sweatshirt. I know this photo is a little different than the ones I usually post, but there’s a marine mammal, as you can see, so there is a natural history connection. :)
Last night one of my college friends that I hadn’t talked with in many years submitted a comment to the NHBH…such a nice surprise! Kathy and I rowed together on the UNH crew team, so when I heard from her I thought of my UNH crew sweatshirt with this little whale sewn into the sleeve. At one point, someone on the team came up with the idea to personalize each team member’s sweatshirt with something that represents them. I was interested in marine biology, and believe it or not, I’ve treasured this little whale friend on my sleeve for over 30 years! (Champion made the best sweatshirts back then.)
Life has been a bit circuitous since I first met
this little whale, and I’m so glad that it has worked out for me to live and work
near the ocean. But hearing from
Kathy made me think about my former teammates and how their support of my
marine biology interest stayed with me.
Not only were they amazing athletes, but they helped me believe in
myself and my ability to pursue a path, no matter how difficult. I love seeing connections, so here’s one that
you (or I) might not have thought of before — in part, the Natural History of Bodega Head comes to you from my UNH crew
teammates! I’m so thankful to them, and I
hope you, too, can trace the many connections from different parts of your
life that have provided support over the years and helped you pursue your
interests.
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) near Cordell Bank in October 2018.
jackie, what is the other image, above the whale?
ReplyDeleteWonderful story. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi, Sue,
ReplyDeleteHmmm...do you mean the whale's spout? Or the logo that looks like a filled-in letter C? (That's the logo for Champion, the company that made the sweatshirt.) If you meant something different, just let me know!
Jackie
Contined pleasure reading your blog, loved marine biology and teaching and incredibly blessed to read you to start my day. Still get to the ocean when I can though not going through the tide pools but vicariously dealing with your days. Keep it up Jerry Huot, Adv.Bio at Cloverdale HS and now 81 years old, but loving the ocean and those who do!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerry!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for writing! So glad to hear you're checking in (from Cloverdale?). It's so helpful for me to know who's reading these posts. It helps me to visualize who might be out there thinking and learning and teaching about our natural world.
:) Jackie