"Something to Howl About"

I guess you could say that I am an animal lover. Anyone who has ever met me would probably say that and they would be absolutely spot on! My house is decorated with dog stuff, wolf stuff, moose stuff, polar bear stuff and lots of other wildlife stuff.

This week (October 15 - October 21, 2006) is Wolf Awareness Week and this started me thinking about wildlife and endangered species etc. It sounds strange to some but I do think about this subject frequently. Maybe because I donate to several wildlife charities so I receive emails and letters from them frequently. Which as sad as they sometimes are, I enjoy learning about wildlife issues. The wolf is my favorite animal (besides the dog!) Actually it is probably difficult for me to say that I have just one favorite animal. Truthfully I love them all. Well, that is a bit of stretch. I DON'T love Camel-Back Cave Crickets or roaches (absolutely disgusting) and I am not a huge spider fan, but I understand their importance in the larger world. Well ok not Camel-Back Cave Crickets or roaches. Really, I think we could completely do without them. They freak me out and every time I venture in to my carport at night I have to scan for the "hoppers" because I would just lose it if one jumped on me. But thinking about all of the species that are becoming extinct makes me sad. I worry that by the time my nieces grow up (they are 15 months and 4 1/2 years old) you will have to pull out a book (old school) or go to an internet site to see what a wolf looks like! We (humans) destroy things in the name of progress. Personally, I could do without another strip mall containing a Subway sandwich restaurant, Nail Salon, and the like. Give me the trees, the grass, the wide open spaces, the animals. We destroy habitat and then complain that we have (insert any wildlife species here) the "varmints" eating our shrubs, going through our trash, hitting our cars etc. Of course we do because we moved in to their homes and pushed them out! The problem is there is no where for them to go. What disturbs me the most is we as humans think we have the right to take what ever we want, damn the consequences. Who cares if wildlife suffers, I really need that 3rd McDonalds restaurant in a 4 miles radius of my home so I can just stick my hand out of my kitchen window and get a Big Mac. Before someone gets all up in arms, let me say that I do not advocate saving animals while proposing the demise of humans. I think there is a way that we (humans) can all live in harmony with wildlife, including flora and fauna. At least I hope there is. My dream is go to Yellowstone and see (or hear) a wolf in the wild, and I am not ready to give up that dream yet.

Suggestion for the day: If you are interested in wolves, Watch Wolves at our Door with Jim and Jamie Dutcher. An amazing story about a couple you lived in woods with the wolves.