Taken from the S.F. Chronicle.

                   

The Whale   If you read the front page story of the SF Chronicle, you would have read about a female humpback whale who had become entangled in a spider web of crab traps and lines.   She was weighted down by hundreds of pounds of traps that caused her to struggle, to stay afloat. She also had hundreds of yards of line rope, wrapped around her body, her tail, her torso, a line tugging in her mouth.   A fisherman spotted her, just east of the Farralone Islands. (outside the Golden Gate) and radioed an environmental group for help.   Within a few hours, the rescue team arrived and determined that she was  so bad off,  that, the only way to save her, was to dive in and untangle her ... A very dangerous proposition!      One slap of the tail could kill a rescuer.     They worked for hours with curved knives, and, eventually freed her.   When she was free, the divers say she swam in what seemed like joyous circles. She came back to each and every diver, one at a time, and nudged them, pushing, them, gently around.  She, seemed to be saying: thank you!  The divers, said it was the most incredibly beautiful experience of their lives.   The one, who cut the rope out of her mouth,  said: her eye, was following him the whole time, and, he'll,  never be the same!   May you, and all those you love,   be so blessed and fortunate .  to be surrounded by people, that will help you get untangled,   when, the things that are binding you.  are threatening, your life.    Art