Wolf Maidens Greeting

I am a young woman, whom lives, treks, dances and sings with pure wolves. Due to where I live not only do I have the opportunity to have viewed, studied, and experienced living, surrounded by wild born wolves, right on my own land even! But I have also forged a friendship with some captive born pure wolves at my licensed wolf outreach and eco education center in Northern Canada. They have been but one teacher in my life, and I have humbly grown over time with them. It consists of various journeys with various wildlife, and pure wolves as they be, and all their glory. Nothing is ever as great as viewing the wild in the wild, such moments never fail to bring me to my knees in awe, wonder and humble honor. To meet another sentient being on their own hallowed grounds where they belong, brings tears to my eyes. I have an undying love affair and romance with the greatest show on earth...LIFE! and wish to say Namaste' to all fellow earth aliens :0) I hope you feel most welcome here and come back to visit from time to time, perhaps leave your own thoughts and mark to remember you by. It seems that so many are in a hurry these days, and don't just sit back enough and simply BE, I provide a lot of music choices here (Just scroll through them if yee like ) I hope you enjoy your stay no matter how long. I LOVE to meet people and hear their own story. I do feel with my every being, that every morning the sun rises to refresh our souls, and every sunset is honored as a gift, for we are not granted a tomorrow. I have the now to share, and hope you catch the same wild disease. Remember in the words of Dr. Seuss Be who you are, say what you feel, because those who mind dont matter, and those who matter don't mind.

Be Most Welcome Here

Be Most Welcome Here
Please enjoy your visit! My user name is skynymph http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymph

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Unhindered

A Couple weeks ago, Judy Wood a photographer/artist came out with her grandson Mark, to visit. That visit taught me something, and without going into detail simply reinforced my belief yet again, on just how undog like wolves can be, and how different each individual wolf can act and be from person to person they meet. I am glad I started off with some very hard wolf temperaments in the beginning, to show me that as good as legend is, I have seen a lot of the opposite, and dealt with and seen truly wild acting sides to these wild, yet in captivity, tamed beasts. Had I started off with a legend, I could have been lulled into a false sense of just what a wolf is, and not seen early on their full capabilities and potential in the extreme. And the extremes make no mistake, I have dealt with in personalities with wolves. At any rate, Mark did get some special moments with legend and eco, and Judy got some great pictures, including surprising me with some she snapped of me and my dear friend Northern Lights Legend. Yes he likes to sit on my lap, or try to the big suck! If I lay down on the ground he will try and lay on top of me like a blanket, well I am only 5'1 just a little girl, needless to say I have to try and convince legend he is just not a blankie! But he doesn't yet believe me. ;0)

Sky and Legend
I think Mark has enough to do a pretty good report in class now on wolves, He has a wolf paw casting I gave him, as well as some shed fur from last years shed of legend, and he took some video footage while out here. I know his grandma got some great pics of him. The shed fur is interesting to show to people. I get asked a lot about the arctic wolves white fur. Their fur at the very root base stays grey (arctic wolves are born fairly dark/greyish and phase out to the final white they are famously known for) but when it sheds out you can still see the grey downy undercoat mixed in with some white hair shafts/guard hairs, that original grey coloration stays with them all their lives. Wolves hair shafts are hollow, this aids in better insulative properties, but an arctic wolf's fur, the hair shafts have even more air pockets than pigmented hair shafts do, this helps to keep them even warmer in those frigid arctic temps. And they need all the extra help they can, living such a hard life in the wild.

sky. mark eco and legend copyright Judy Wood

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

A Wild Connection

Namaste' to all fellow earth aliens! leaving off from the last post I wanted to post here a few pics taken during easter long of Mandy and the wolves. Enjoy

Arctic wolf puppy Eco Soul Journey kisses Mandy, Eco will be a year old may 1st. This is the first time Eco had met Mandy as she had not been out for a year prior to this 4 day stay. Mandy with Eco and Legend
If wolves can look GOOFY, this takes the cake, Legend was trying to scent roll on HER HAND! and as you can see in ecstacy. One thing wolves LOVE to do is (play/test/challenge) Some wolf experts (Klinghammer, Wolf Park) believe that wolves do not play, that what "looks like" play is really testing, that is preparing them for adulthood, and all the hardships that will entail. I tend to concur, I have not witnessed wolves PLAY the way dogs do. There is a lot more seriousness to what they do, and there's typically always a REASON as to WHY they are doing it too. Oh the stories I can tell as to what leads me to concur with that belief.

Eco is consistently testing/putting up challenges towards Legend, and this pic below is one of them. She TRIES to set me up to take the bait too, but I know what the sneaky devil is doing, and don't fall for it. She will seem like she is actually playing fetch with you but when she brings it back she wants you to try and take it from her, (I'll trade her for it only) or she will drop it, and almost dare you to go and get it. She can move FAST so if I know there is no way I can get to that stick, to throw it for her before she does. I don't bother, it's a set up to lose her test, as she will immediately run for it before I can get it. Only if she is far enough away, and she THINKS I have no interest in that stick, (that's the key) can I then grab it up and continue our game.
Tests continuously occur between wolves, and just because your a human, and they know your not one of them, does not mean they won't test you as well. It is important to stay a step ahead of wolves in captive environments, as any little tests not perceived as such when the pups are young, (considered merely PLAY to caretakers, when it may not be) could eventually turn into more serious challenges, when that pup grows up. It is good to meet everything they do including the tests, with careful and respectful consideration, head on.
Throwing in a picture of the owner of a photography studio that came out here in March with his daughter
Legend getting dozy above Mandy tired him out!

Sweet dreams legend, you can barely see his tongue but he fell asleep while licking the ice and it is still sticking out

Wolves Teach A Wild Lesson

Namaste' all , wow I always seem to be a zillion steps behind you all in blogging, and have once more a ton of blogs to catch up to in reading I see as well. You all must have wonder typing hands he he ;0) In the meantime, here is press release written by a friend of mine who came out here easter long when a teen came out to spend 4 days. It was so sweet of him.





April 14th, 2008

Prince Albert, Saskatchewan March 22nd, 2008 –The sun is just starting to rise within a pristine forest setting, at A Wolf Adventure; a wolf interpretive center, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. A hauntingly primal song, suddenly pierces the silence. One is left with a spine tingling sensation that feels too sacred for words.

A young Métis girl is a modern day little red riding hood of the teenage kind, only hold the big bad wolf please. Mandy Lafond has walked, howled, kissed and experienced a long term friendship with some pure wolves, in a way many people her age can only dream of. For Mandy a 15 year old, grade 9 student, what started off as simply being wild about wolves as a 12 year old, has turned into a fascinating friendship that has spanned a few years now, and simply embraces the non typical variety of friends.
Legend kisses Teen
These friends have very big paws and very big teeth, but ask Mandy how she feels, and if she is scared she will be eaten like little red riding hood’s grandmother, and she will laugh and say “I don’t understand all the bad stuff said about wolves. People just don’t know them the way I do. Tibet is my favorite she is the sweetest wolf. Dharma is a beautiful wolf too, I love her eyes, and oh my god, Legend and Eco the Arctic wolves are so beautiful! I have all kinds of friends, so what is the big deal?” Mandy has spent quite a few days and nights over the years, frolicking on these wild grounds. Not your typical teen weekend away from home.

Walking on a wild side is nothing new for the director and founder of A Wolf Adventure, in Northern Saskatchewan Canada. Skylar Breton helps to unlock a natural wild wisdom within us all, while teaching the next generation about a highly misunderstood and often misaligned wild animal. Skylar was simply a girl herself of a tender 19, when a chance encounter would change her course of life forever.

When asked, Skylar gives a small smile, and quietly responds, “Even though in school I was voted most likely to become an artist, and work with wildlife. I guess I wound up combining doing all three, artistry, working with wild animals, and having youth from all different backgrounds come into my life.When I came upon a caged pet wolf at a roadside zoo as a young girl, unlicensed to take in such animals, I knew I had to do something. So, I followed proper protocol and got licensed in order to save this precious life." But working with wolves, has had it’s ups and downs according to Skylar. “I learned hard knocks 101, more than any book, or regular school could ever teach us about these animals.”

As Skylar or Mandy speak, the wolves respond, as if talking to them in kind. I sensed an unspoken communication that was going on here as well. Mandy takes queue, and blasts out a wicked howl. Skylar says, “The wolves treat Mandy as a part of the pack family, they know she is not a wolf but they accept her, and in a world where it is hard to be accepted just for who you are, who wouldn’t enjoy that kind of atmosphere?
Mandy has created a trust and bond with the animals here. They don’t care what she wears, or how she talks.”

Keep in mind; Mandy also knows how to act around them, as they still are wild animals regardless of being raised in captivity. There is still that edge, and Skylar quickly points it out to me. After a moments silence and pause Skylar suddenly states, “It’s a simple friendship, how can one argue with simple?”

But how do Mandy’s parents feel about her interacting with wolves? “I create a trust with parents I meet, I come to the table with who I am, no agenda other than the heart and soul, the desire to share my world. It’s very easy to just be, and others around you will feel that and get it. When you have a genuine desire to give without thought, and without expectation of getting anything in return, you return to an innocence of self. Mandy’s dad was super cool right off the bat.”

If you have stars in your eyes that you will make a lot of money using wild animals, skylar urges people to think again. “You may make certain decisions or make compromises, you might otherwise not make, if you get into this kind of work thinking it is a way to actually get rich, let alone make a living. This is work I do out of pure passion, and drive to educate. That is why there are so many horrible road side zoos that should be shut down through out Canada, and the world for that matter.”

For Mandy it all goes over her head at this age, all she knows is how she feels when she enters into this wild world that is situated on even wilder lands. ” I feel free.” she says.

A Wolf Adventure A Wild Insight is a Provincially licensed, wolf outreach and eco conservation center that fosters and promotes a healthy respect and appreciation of wildlife and surrounding habitat. A Wolf Adventure custom creates fun and educational programs for the K-12 school system off and on site.

Contact:

Skylar Breton (director /founder)
A Wolf Adventure;
A Wild Insight
306-922-4510


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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Last Lecture

Namaste' all I was sent this and felt to post about it

being a person of an extremely strong faith and belief system, I honestly feel the end is truly another beginning. That is MY belief. I don't believe in good-bye's, heck in my every day life when I meet someone for the 50th, or the first time, I refuse to say (good-bye.) Maybe so long for now, or catch you on the flip side, even happy trails till we meet again, (Hey not beyond singing that) typically I simply say "Metta", as THAT departure means a LOT. But not good-bye.

I am an avid learner, and most importantly a listener and student of others stories, and journeys and this I think some of you will learn from as well. Wonder should NEVER cease, no matter the circumstances. I find it interesting to view anothers perspective and how they are choosing to handle the given circumstances and their own *physical departure*. His children I am sure are and will continue to be very proud, and he will continue to guide them and watch over them throughout , that I have NO doubt.

I shed whilst watching this video, a tear, not for pity, but for the humbleness and courage to not FIGHT *against* the disease, in such a way it would allow that disease to CRIPPLE and incapacitate the spirit.

That, after doing all he could to of course take a stand, (the chemo etc) he *turned towards it* and embraced it with a divine grace .
Randy I humbly bow. In honor I light this candle of mine