Mukilteo Musings

Animals and ME, Part 2: Close Encounters of the Wild Kind

Seeing animals in the wild is breathtaking, sometimes amusing and sometimes scary. Visiting zoos or Sea World type places leaves me with an uncomfortable feeling even though I applaud much of the work they do for preservation of endangered species. The gorilla that escaped the other day I am sure had just had it--he was completely fed up with being laughed at by humans, and it is tragic he had to be killed. No, I prefer to see non-human residents of our earth in their natural habitat.

Most Sensual--Orcas
Actually, there is an issue about whale watching cruises and if they bother our resident orca pods. We have to be careful but the most soul-filling experience I've had is watching orcas from a boat. The day was still and calm and the water glassy. The Olympic Mountains were snow-covered and majestic; the boat stopped its engine and there was silence. Silence and then "Whoosh"--the sound of orcas breathing while their black and white bodies gracefully slice through the water. Silence---Whoosh---Silence---Whoosh!! Never ever again will I be able to see Shamu at Sea World.

Most Adorable
One morning while walking my Golden Retriever at our local beach just down from the lighthouse, my dog started to really pull. All of a sudden, I saw the cutest creature I have ever seen in my life and I've seen a lot of baby wild animals. A baby seal (not a sea lion) was resting on the rocks; I quieted my dog and just observed from a little distance. Signs are posted everywhere to leave them be--they're not abandoned but Mom is probably just fishing nearby. He was little, gray and furry with the sweetest face and huge eyes. Oh my gosh--and I couldn't touch.

Most Shocking
As a teen ager, my Mom and Dad and brother and me and dog went backpacking into the wilderness in Montana. My Dad put up a lean-to with bows for a bed when we reached our destination. We didn't carry a tent because Dad wanted to sleep under the stars. The next morning, I was the last to wake up. My Mom was by the fire and my Dad and brother were off fishing somewhere. I opened my eyes but I did not see stars--a huge pure white mountain goat was standing on a rock about 15 feet away and he was curiously staring at me. Oh my---hello, Goat!!

Most Scary and Most Humorous
After my husband and I were married, we would camp and backpack with my parents now and then. In Montana, the highest peak, Granite peak is in the Beartooth Mountains. We were car camping--really car camping in a desolate area there. My parents slept in their Jeep and we were sleeping in the back of our little station wagon but it was small so it was open with a tarp. Our dogs were sleeping with us. Early in the morning, I heard some snorting and peeked out. GEEZ--a gigantic black bear--though it was brown. (Black bears can range in color from black to brown to cinnamon; grizzlies are almost always brown with a silver neck area) He was having some fun with our stuff but we are only separated by this canvas tarp and we have this dog who could complicate things: GEEZ-- PANIC--STAY CALM--what are we gonna do??? At that moment--KER THUNK! KER THUNK! Pitched out of the Jeep by my Dad was the Stanley Thermos and it hit the bear, scared him and he took off. "Good shot Dad--Glad you played college basketball before the War!" The Thermos, 30 years later, is still in good shape and used by my Mom to this day even if it has a few dents. We have always thought we should share our story with the Stanley people and how their indestructible Thermos saved our lives.