Golden Poppies
Posted April 29, 2015 at 5:50 am by Tim Dustrude
A Poppy for Tony – Janet Thomas photo
The Poppies are out. You’ll see them all over the island. Many of them were planted by Tony Surina – Here’s Janet Thomas with some insight on that…
Island friends… In the early 90s I was county fair manager. After a couple of days on the job an unfamiliar man showed up in the office and said he had something to show me. It was Tony Surina. He took me out to the horse arena and showed me where he had planted California poppies. Then he asked that they not be mowed down. They weren’t.
Turned out that every year he planted poppies all over the island in honor of his war buddies. Every time I see them budding up out of dust & gravel, I think of Tony. The poppies open & close to the warmth until way late in the fall. But if they are picked, they go limp in a minute. All they need is the sun.
Part of Tony Surina’s legacy – Golden Poppies on San Juan Island – Ian Byington photo
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Categories: Around Here
One comment:
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I also think of Tony everytime I see the Poppies! What a wonderful legacy to one who gave so much! I see a lot of people all over the island, for many different reasons…
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