Namaste' all I got some free time so I can finally get to another post here :0) for all those posts I have missed on some others great blogs, and not commented. I'll get to you! Walt ever the sweet heart of an angel, YES I'm alive and well THANK YOU! every few weeks due to a disease I have lived with in harmony ;0) since I was a teen, I am taken out of general mainstream life momentarily, and it takes all my life source and energy to make sure all the daily chores that go with operating a large ranch get done. (Work doesn't stop! sick or not, *enter here a huge chorus* The Show Must Go On!) Then when I come back to the land of living, I have to climb back up that mountain again ;0) the last thing I think of doing is writing a blog :0)
It is very costly Walt yes to operate a facility that does not for profit work, along with the time factor as it has to fit in alongside our actual paying jobs to keep operating the outreach and building it up.
BUT you really cant put a price on education, and teaching from your heart. I have had a lot of youth that come out here from very poor backgrounds, I certainly don't want anyone seriously interested in coming out not be able to just because they could not afford to.
It is more than teaching about wolves , it comes down to teaching compassion and empathy via *experiencing* the wild lands, and all wildlife, and it's very essence. Allow them to *touch* *smell* *embrace* LIFE. That they can give themselves permission to LAUGH and NOT WORRY who may be watching them or judging them. Empowering a young person with experiences will strengthen their confidence, and a confident child, will become a successful adult. :0)
SO for example if you teach a young girl how to change a tire, or how to survive off the land itself, through them learning what every plant is, and tree and their life giving properties, or making their own flute through a flute making workshop, or making their own boomerang and painting it up YUP we have done this out here, they are but a few little examples of how each accomplishment a young person succeeds at, will go towards building up a powerful energy within that youth, and THAT will teach in and of itself, something that cannot be via words alone.
A little bit ago I brought pookie the shih-poo down to visit northern lights legend the arctic wolf, so they could have a special visit together. Legend was co-raised by Pookie and remains steadfastly dedicated to her, extremely gentle and careful with her, for he knows he is much bigger than her.
I know the wolves here don't live a typical *wild* life, they get to see the doctor (vet) when they need to, they get good regular meals, are protected from various diseases, never have to worry about *surviving*, and their upbringing helps to *influence* their behaviors to a certain degree, but when I see animals whom don't pace, whom I swear are smiling, and show that happiness in their behaviors, I know I am doing something right by them, as best as any human possibly can for their well being, and contentment in a captive situation. After enough years of studying and most importantly *listening* to what *they NEED and want*, it helps to create an atmosphere of calm. It becomes all about doing everything by them in the very best, and most respectable of ways.
Here's a happy face to brighten your day I am laying on my side with him. The smaller pen he is in is called a separation pen (it is not occupied full time) I did not want two wolves together with pookie at the same time, it is ONLY used during breeding season to separate a bonded pair, so no unwanted pups are born. So I used it for special time between the two friends this day. It is built right off the main habitat and double gated entry area.
"Reach Out"
"nose to nose"
"revere"
"play time, your it!"
"eye 2 eye"
"teacher"
"follow the leader"
"leap dog"
"sweet kiss"
"king of the mountain" (actually once legend jumped up there, and saw pookie down below he started crying till I picked her up , so he could jump off again, he refused to jump down till I did in case he accidentally jumped on her!!!)
"mirror"
12 comments:
A happy man am I.
Wow! Such great pictures! Thanks
As always a pleasure to read and a feast for the eyes. There is so much beauty and peace in those photos. Although the abundance of white would at first appear cold, for me it is the opposite. I feel great love and warmth. Thank you for what you do and for sharing a little bit of it with us.
Sky, Glad you are feeling better.. But sorry to hear of your pain. I am sure you bare it with grace, and in harmony.. Thanks for you words they will work as a reminder in my own life. Legend is such a fantastic animal. How beautiful!!!
I am not sure if I have missed it in here someplace, but am curious as to how you came to care for these wonderful creatures.. ??
I keep you in my thoughts daily.. I speak from my heart.
Stacey
hello,
great images--what an amazing animal
thanks
derick
You are such an AMAZING being, a rare individual. I am so glad you do what you do and that we are connecting. These are astounding photos and express intelligence, intimate relationship and acute awareness. They capture a world that is slowly vanishing, a world that most humans have forgotten and abandoned. You and the wolves are truly of another world, to me the most important world. And your writing is humble and very much expresses who you are. Will be in touch soon. Loved your email.
He is certainly a beautiful animal! I see it is not yet spring there. I imagine that up there, when the snow season finally ends, the mosquito season starts? Summer is just around the corner. Do the wolves get real patchy fur and start to shed as the days get longer?
Namaste' Stacey! I do actually address how I started all this somewhere in one of the posts, briefly, but also address this question on my bio on my main site www.wolfechovalley.com I'll post that here too, basically I started off by coincidence I grew up around a zoo environment (some relatives owned one) and when I came upon Farley a captive bought wolf put into a cage, and in the kind of conditions he was in I got licensed specifically to rescue him. I have been involved in rescuing various animals for quite a number of years wild and non. Once you become licensed however, it puts you into a quandry of sorts, of what do you do with that, you certainly dont want to collect wild animals as pets, as to ME this is just wrong. If you do have them, to use them for educational purposes and give them a *job*. But other zoos have pups that get born and nowehere for them to go, and I have rescued a couple of the wolves from private pet homes. It actually is an ongoing emotional torn debate for me because I have two sides to the issue of captive **wild** animals, neither view points being an extreme view point.
I have to keep focus on questioning my own actions at all times, to ensure my decisions are not based on ego but only out of a place where the animals are always put first, I owe that to them. I would love to be involved in endangered species programs actively at some point too, but only if the animals are actually reintroduced to their natural wild habitat otherwise what is the point of continuous breeding of them? if only to keep wild animals captive? to ME this doesnt make much sense.
But here is a question and answer from my site beautiful one.
1) Q: How did you get involved with wolves? :
My introduction to handling wild zoo babies started as a young child for me, I was given opportunities to bottle-feed lions, tigers and bears oh MY! I was a VERY shy introverted child, animals both domestic and wild fascinated me! I felt a great bond and kinship with all living things great and small from pet frogs and ants to dogs and cats. My journeys on a daily basis were magical, and I could not wait to get home from school to venture out on my trusty bicycle, to see what new and exciting wonders I could discover for that day. This was a world I did not fear.
My world would collide as a teen with a wolf called Farley, he was a captive wolf in horrible conditions, but I was not licensed for such wildlife. I would take the long hours necessary, and drive to visit him, all along thinking of ways to rescue him from this fate worse than death, this was no well organized zoo where the welfare of the animals took priority. He was housed in a cage* 10 by 15* had a mesh roof and the floor was caging /mesh material. Everytime I got home after a visit I would write notes of my shared time with him.
This started me on my quest to get licensed, unfortunately this owner put him on the highest bidder, selling block being so young we went as high as we could, and we thought we had actually bid his freedom from hell, but to no avail, he was sold last minute to some inadequate private zoo, and I never saw him again.
My love and respect of wolves was no more, nor less than my love and respect of say gorillas or dolphins, in fact as a youngster I desired greatly to work with gorillas and dolphins both . I still do. Who knows maybe someday, the world does work in amazing ways, and anything becomes possible once we open ourselves up to it's gifts. I wanted to either become a Zookeeper, Veterinarian, Conservation officer, or a Wildlife biologist. I attained licensing very very young. (19) When I started to work at the local large public zoo as a young girl, bringing various wild animals like a python and hawk around the k-12 school system giving educational talks, on not only the biology of the animal involved, but habitat. I knew I had found my calling.
My education, as part of being a director of an ever expanding facility is on going however, and I am a proud member of The Wildlife Rehabilitation Society Of Saskatchewan www.wrsos.org where I am working towards my official certification as a wildlife rehabber in 08'. To eventually attain a biology degree to officially someday work in the field, will take some time due to monetary and current work reasons, but is also in the works plan wise.
metta;
sky
Namaste' Will my dear! well officialy it is spring I always celebrate all the solstices. But YUP soon as you hit the gates to the land it is STILL as I type winter wonderland!!! hahahaha I am still skiing on the land. ;0)
As far as shedding wolves don't shed like dogs, you know how some people at work come to work covered in dog fur and you just know they have a dog? Well the wolves only shed ONCE a year ONLY, they do not shed daily fur like *domestic dogs * do. So it gathers all in clumps and falls out on it's own, they rub along things to help that process as well.
NEVER matts (natures way for wolves to get a spring haircut each year) so I dont need to even brush them and the fur will come out in easily pulled clumps then that's it..by summer they are short coated and pretty funny looking, very unwolf like, that is why I joke there are no summer wolf calendars *grin*
I'll have to do a post on that in the summer photo wise people wont believe the differences.
metta;
sky
Namaste' Robin, wow, you know I almost did not post this comment, because you just made me feel MORE humble and I always blush PROFUSELY when people say things like that to me, seriously.
I do humbly thank you, and would bow were I in front of you and you said such a thing, it goes to remind me I am touching someone, and someone has touched me in return.
I do so many people find your blog site, as it is a journey of senses of life.
metta;
sky
Hua Kola Sky, thank you for your kind words concerning my blog. I can see by your blog that you and I share the same deep respect and love for nature and all things of this natural world. How odd that a hunter like me and a wildlife warrior like you can see eye to eye concerning the way of this great circle of life we all share. Stacey has told me about your blog many times and I finally found the time to read some of your writing. I must say your heartfelt approach to the care of our wolf brothers and sisters touched me deeply. I was raised to honor and respect all things natural, and feel compelled to say you truly honor the ways of nature with your work. Thanks for the chance to visit your blog and I will return with a gracious heart and open eyes...Hawk a/ho
You must be a very happy man
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