Internal strife...........

I think most people know the Native American story of the two wolves. A very wise story. It is true, we have two sides to ourselves some times more than two. I am very conscious of this in my own life. I struggle daily to get the good wolf to be upermost in my life. Most of the time I think he is, but I can hear the other one grumbling not too far below the surface.
I spend quite some time on Facebook. I love it for keeping in touch with my cousins in England and in Australia and friends throughout the world. I have joined a few groups and some are about animals and fightin against cruelty, finding homes for abandoned dogs and cats. I like to think that spreading the word helps. I have had to stop though, I can no longer take seeing how evil some people are. The cruel things they do to helpless animals the way they throw away and old dog simply because he is old or sick. Or worse leaving him chained in an abandoned basement or yard to starve to death.

I wont mention some of the hideous things I have seen as I don't want you to have that image in your mind. My wolf who is buried deep inside comes to the surface and is so angry he could kill and maim.....he is so full of hate and loathing for those people who commit those crimes. I have a job to get him back down in his cave and chain him again..............he has to be chained so as to keep him there. He is not a normal wolf, not a wolf at all (animals do not behave that way) I use that image unfairly because of the Indian story. My wolf is a demon.................

I try not to use the word hate. I know I must love even the most unlovable. It is not for me to judge others and all that. I do try, try so hard but when I see the evil in the world I can not help myself. I feel the chains getting weaker............so I have stopped getting some of those posts even though people need to be aware. People need to stop buying fur for one thing. Find out, educate yourself as to where that fur comes from. Its not that animals are killed for their fur so much as the conditions they live in and the methods of killing. Such cruelty. I hear the chains begin to rattle.............puppy mills..........don't buy from pet shops. Again, educate yourself. When buying from a breeder, see the parents of the puppy.ask for references. Do the right thing.

Don't buy animals as gifts unless you know they are welcome into a forever home.It's not just about animals. War is evil...........hunger is evil..........homelessness is evil.....making people beg for food and be denied health care because they can not afford it. Who are we to judge who is deserving of help? It's all evil and my wolf is tugging at his chains now.......Selfishness, making self the center of all. Face it, we cant take anything with us when we leave this world, we brought nothing in. Why are we so obsessed with things.? No other animal does what man does. No other animal collects so much stuff that they cant move it or leave it. We will fight to he death over what is "ours" .........well I have news folks, if you can not let go of a possession then it possesses you and not the other way around.
My wolf is angry now and feels the chance of coming up to the light.

Jesus tells us to love one another. To give to the poor, to comfort the lonely and surely He would want us to do what we can to stop abuse of animals and children. He has us in a certain place in the world and we must bloom where we are planted. I can not stop what happens in another country, not in any meaningful way not with my lack of resources. I can speak up though. I don't need to see it to know evil exists. I must calm my wolf. Pet him and settle him down again. I will not allow hatred to get a grip in my heart. We can not say "why does God not do something about it" HE DID, he put us/me here on earth and we must share the blame if we cover our eyes. We must not be a part of the problem. I have things to resolve in my own life, I can not inspect another's life or motives. For now my wolf is calm. I know he is there but he will never be free as long as I believe that God has a plan, that God will some day see to it that justice is served. I feel sorry for my evil wolf.............maybe he didn't mean to be bad, but he is and I can not afford to be soft with him. I can not ever let him loose.

Return to Paradise...........

We just got back from our trip to Paradise. I am pretty sure its the last for this year. Wow was it busy. I have never seen so many people in Paradise. Lucky for us we got there just at the end of the Blueberry Festival. What a great weekend for the local business. We went for burgers at the Klondike Bar, best burgers there yum. Well "Sorry no French frys and before you ask no onion rings either" said the bar tender. Thats OK we had deep fried mushrooms instead. They were out of so much stuff. They had over 6000 people go through Paradise that weekend. I am sure they have never seen so many people before. Its not like that can get supplies as quick as we do down here. The cabin was great, we just love Curley's. What does it matter if there was no hot water and barely and water pressure who cares.



The house had a very large living area and kitchen dining all in one. Two large bedrooms too. Very comfortable. I could live in that house.

One of the days we went to Taquamenon Falls. We have been many many times but its a nice walk and I have a digital camera now so just had to get a few more pictures



We only went to the Upper Falls though.
One day we went to see a lady who has a pair of wolves. She has had wolves for many years. I have always wanted to go meet her but this was the first time it worked out for both of us. Her older wolf died last year. The two remaining wolves are now 13 and 15 years old, so I was very happy to get to see them. She also has sled dogs. She does not race them but got them from people who do. I guess these guys were too slow. They live a good life and get a lot of freedom, even though when we saw them they were penned. Nice and clean pens too. They get to go out at night and run, and she also does sled with them, just not racing.
The wolves are still wild and have always been so. They are beautiful. Kenai is an Arctic wolf. Just look at those feet. They are huge so that they can walk on snow



The other wolf is an American Timber wolf Nahanni



These wolves are in a compound in the woods. Although surrounded by 10' double fencing they have a lot of freedom. They are healthy and happy. You can tell. Nahanni was flirting, too shy to come to the fence (we were inside the double fence) he would come real close and as long as I didnt look would keep coming but if I moved or looked would go on by like he never intended to get any closer anyway.

This is Reina with Moki who is the house pet and is a real lover.



Another day we went to Oswalds bear ranch. They keep black bears who are either orphaned or given to them. They do not breed bears. All these are rescued and very happy. They have a huge place to live with in special fences and electricity. However as babies their job is to have pictures taken with children. They are given treats and you can tell they could care less about the pictures just give them the treats. This is my husband with Tristen and Reina and the curent baby model.



Then the man went in with one of the females and had her pose with a sucker. Just look at that face.




While the gates were open I got a good shot of her. What a beauty. While walking around some of the bears came to greet us at the fence because people give them treats of cut up apples. We had neglected to get any but Gabby had a sucker and as they get suckers we threw one over. That bear followed us the rest of the way in the hope of another treat. Now dont get the idea that they are fat and lazy, they are not. They are well cared for healthy bears.



While we have very seldom seen bears while we have been in the Upper Peninsula we have had several around town where I live. Imagine that.

One of the best things to do is to walk on the beach at Whitefish Point and look for Agates. Tristen prefers to throw them. Do you like his camoflage?




Here Reina and Tristen look out over Lake Superior. This is outside the cabin. Today she is in a calm mood but don't ever take this lake for granted she is a wicked bitch. The shipwrecks and storms here are just horrendous. Remember the Edmund Fitzgerald.