Engagement Photo

I couldn't take it anymore. I maneuvered my recording equipment towards the front of my body and lowered my bottom into the mud. What a relief to be sitting down. No longer frozen in motion and bent forward, I was ready to record frog calls all night. My professor, Dr. P, saw me from the other corner of the pond and simply laughed.

Dr. P was my animal communication professor and ecological hero. He taught me how to catch unwieldy frogs, and guided me through my first field project in the tropics. He also called me immediately after my recent accident just to comfort me.

A few months ago, Dr. P called me into his office to ask whether I had any photos of strawberry poison dart frogs. He was looking for a cover-worthy shot to accompany a research manuscript he was submitting for publication. For its colors and composition, this photo popped into my mind.

As I was leaving that day, Dr. P handed me a long-stemmed rose from the corner of his office. I was bewildered. The rose was followed by an etch-a-sketch with a carefully crafted message that read "meet me at The Nest" (aka, the university's botanical garden). I obeyed and minutes later, my boyfriend proposed. My first thought after "I'm engaged!"?..."I hope Dr. P still needs this photo!"

This one is entitled Betrayal.