Angel Jake at the RBC (Rainbow Broadcasting Corporation)

Angel Jake at the RBC (Rainbow Broadcasting Corporation)

Monday, May 24, 2010

To Every Thing There is a Season...

A while back, Maxdog's eloquent Mom included Ecclesiastes in her blog about Maxdog's illness:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven..."


Yesterday was Max's time. He led a beautiful life, filled with love and laughter amidst an adoring family. And we've been the beneficiaries of his days with us in our heart-warming cyber circle of paws. So we sob for Max's departure and ache for his mom. But his passing was part of "every purpose under the heaven."

What I'm having so much trouble with is the contrast between the natural cycle of life -- the "to everything there is a season" -- and the egregious violation of that cycle with the seemingly endless spewing of oil into areas where animal life is meant to be nurtured, not destroyed. So while I mourn Max and other furry ones who have recently left us -- Digby, Jackson, Snickers, to name just a few -- what makes me so ill I can barely look at it are the miles of oil-filled marshes and the nameless and unborn birds, turtles, fish, and others losing their lives in this monstrosity.
You all know H.C. Bird, Jake and Just Harry's virtual heron-cam. Well, here is an all-too-real young heron dying in the marshes.


The irony, because of my work as a seaport consultant, I know that permits to do with anything relating to our marine environment -- seagrasses, wetlands, coral reefs, habitat, water quality -- can take years and years to be approved, lest sometimng miniscule be forgotten, lest all the i's not be dotted and all the t's not be crossed. It can take months to resolve issues of temporary turbidity during construction. More months to be sure no net loss of seagrasses occur. Huge debates as to whether the outlet for a cooling canal can be moved without disturbing a nursery for baby West Indian manatees. And now this. One has to ask -- has it all been for naught? When our environmental protection agencies and organizations have tried to be so careful, how could this have happened? Or have we all been fooling ourselves? Or being fooled?

There is no purpose under heaven that I can think of.

Run free, dear Max -- and if you find a new sanctuary for brown pelicans and terns and roseate spoonbills and gulls and herons across the Bridge-- tell them we miss them too.

Joan

15 comments:

Gus said...

A wonderful post...thoughtful and thought provoking. Thank you for sharing the clarity and conscience behind it.

b

Asta said...

I thought I was through crying for the day..but knowing that Max is pain free and was loved and had a wonderful life and then seeing that picture of one of the victims of this horrible oil spill just broke the dam of tears again.
I don't see the purpose under heven in so many things..I really don't
hugs
Ami
smoochie kisses
ASTA

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

A wonderful post with lots for all to think about. A very sad world we live in. Run free, dear Max.

Woos - Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Scout and Freyja said...

I haven't felt my heart breaking this desperately since I lost my beautiful Starr 6 years ago. Max had such an impact on many lives throughout the Universe. He now rests with the angels and waits patiently for his dear Maxmom to bring his lead.

Sunny,Scooter, (sometimes Jamie) said...

Max was given the gift that hurt the one who loved him the most his pain. A time to live, a time to die...
We are not meant to understand and I sure don't. But if I may, it seems odd to me that our federal govt,(esp President) who was soundly chastised for lagging during Hurricane Katrina, is not being soundly chastised(esp our current President) instead of passing the buck.
While I know that will not be a popular view, it seems to me to be comparable. And no, I do not understand. But I grieve for the wildlife, for the folks who made their living from the sea. I spent a wonderful week on that coast. Ate fresh fish, enjoyed the wildlife.
Sad, and I hope we can hold different opinions without grudges.
None of these animals deserve this.
Hugs
Jamie
ps a side of my family worked offshore for years. It can be done safely, and correctly. It is a dangerous job for people. British Petroleum had an accident and our federal government has spent all this time passing the buck. I do not understand why they get a pass on this. Had it been Bush-no pass. By the way. I am considered a centrist according to a test I took. Neither right nor left. Just what is right, and what is wrong. Sorry and I will understand if you do not publish this. But that picture got me hot under the collar.
Run free Dear Max
Jamie and the texas sundogs
ps LA Gov bobby Jendal has asked for help-he has a plan. He is told NO by the administration, because BP has to approve. WHAT!???

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

We say see Gussie's khomments!

My mom is a big 'thing happens for reasons' type but this one is diffikhult fur her to khoncept and fathom -

Of khourse, BP still thinks the impakht will be minor -

Just another example that 'they' don't get it!

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra & Khousin Merdie

Maxmom said...

Dear, dear friends!
Thank you for this tribute as well as this apt and thought-provoking post. I too am so sad/angry at the environmental destruction currently taking place in your country....not only there, but seemingly everywhere! My heart pains for the destruction of a purposefully beautiful creation.
Thank you for being our friends and thank you for your thoughts and love.
MAXMOM IN SA

Martha said...

Hi Friends, like you we were sad to hear of Max's passing but so pleased he had such a wonderful life.
To be part of a loving family is all us dogs need.
We share your concerns with the devastation of the oil spill and sadly are unable to offer you anything that could make sense of it.
We wish we could make all the bad things in the world go away.
love
Martha and Bailey xxx

Scruffy, Lacie and Stanley's Place said...

We agree...there is no reason for Man to make such a hoooge mess in nature and totally disturb the balance of things. We wish someone would come up with something to clean up the mess or better yet prevent it from happening...

And we love the tribute you pawed about Max...

Good boy, Max...his family will miss him dearly and so will we....

Kisses to all...

Lacie, Scruffman and Stanley

Joe Stains said...

It really does stink what is going on and we can't figure out how they can't have a plan to clean something like this up. ish.

the booker man said...

while i am sad at max's passing, you are quite right that dear max lead a full and beautiful life!
like you, i am also disheartened by this tragic, ongoing oil spill. the destruction is sickening. we live in a fallen world, unfortunately.

the booker man and asa's mama

Sunshade said...

Hey BOYZ! We sent you an e-mail, sometimes our e-mail get sorted to the junk mail box because of the links to me and STINKY's blogs that's attached. So please check your junk mail box!

Love nibbles,
Miss Sunshade

Asta said...

Jake and Just Hawwy
Thank you fow the invite. I'm suwe it's most pleasant in youw vewdant and bootiful gawden, but I'm stuck hewe, and mommi doesn't even like 80, hehehehehe
smoochie kisses
ASTA

the booker man said...

hihi jake and just harry!!
the caption me and asa and mama came up with was "backseat snoozers -- the preferred alternative to backseat drivers".
oh, and i got a good giggle out of your dog slippers comment. heehee!
*woof*
the booker man

Dewey Dewster said...

Gee we're sure sorry ta hear about Max...even though we didn't know 'em we always feel sad when a fur baby leaves us and runs ta the bridge....we hope that he is frolickin' with all those who got there before 'em....

As fer the oil.....we sure hope that someone....anyone...finds a solution ta this very real, very serious problem.....they're shootin' mud at it now....we sure hope it works.....God help us all if it doesn't.....

Dewey Dewster here....