Mukilteo Musings

Top Ten on Tuesday from Yanowhatimean.com: Top Ten Sports I like to Watch. This is a short list because I only like to watch the Winter Olympics and short track speedskating in particular--that's it!!

Animals and ME

I belong to an internet group called Orca Sighting Network. Basically, we keep our eyes peeled on the water out there for signs of whales--not just orcas but grays as well. Our sightings feed into scientific research designed to understand whale behavior with the ultimate goal of protecting them. Currently, we have some gray whales enjoying themselves right out here in front of my house but I have yet to see them. I get tracking e-mails everyday. In fact I should be upstairs right now with my binocs instead of on the computer.

My father had a forestry degree in addition to his Master's in Education. During the winters, he was a junior high science teacher and in the summers he worked for the Montana Fish and Game (until he became a principal). One of my early memories is spending a summer near Glacier Park in a cabin. My Dad was helping with a project to study black bears with Chuck Jonkel who is now a reknowned grizzly bear habitat expert. They would trap bears using a huckleberry paste, tranquilize them and then tag their ears.

This trip resulted in one of our first family pets--a lateralis squirrel we named Chipper. Also known as Golden Mantel Squirrels, they look like large chipmunks with rusty heads. Chipper was with us for many years even after he escaped. We knew he hadn't permanently left us when my mother's petunias disappeared in the spring. He had hibernated during the winter. We caught him with peanut butter.

Another family pet which my mother did not appreciate was a baby raccoon. We called him Coony. (I think I named all of our animals) The minute he learned to open the refrigerator and help himself to the eggs, we gave him away. He was adorable; I would put him in my doll buggy; he'd go with us fishing and camping. I especially enjoyed watching my Dad laugh as he would give him pancake; he'd wash it with his little hands in his water dish only to discover it would disappear into nothing to eat. My mother had a coffee party out in the yard with lots of women in those 50's dresses. Specifically, she ordered me to keep Coony in the house; you tell a 6 year old something like that and yep--they do the opposite. Pictured in my mind at this moment is a lot of terrified screaming ladies with coffee and cookies everywhere; boy, did I get in trouble but to this day I still think it was worth it.

My Dad also had the responsibility of picking up orphaned animals, usually from forest fires, and transporting them to the Fish and Game "Zoo" which is actually a rehabilitation facility designed to return animals to the wild. Of course, he usually made a detour to our house and sometimes we had temporary custody because of facility operation hours. What a treat for me because the animals were usually babies. Yes, I remember a baby owl; we fed him liver and Dad showed all the neighborhood kids how his beak could break a pencil; I remember a red fox; and grizzly bear cubs with wild eyes.

One particular summer morning when I was about 9, I woke up and to my astonishment, a spotted fawn slept on my rug. I trotted out of my bedroom with Fawn following me; he had trouble walking on the kitchen floor. I knocked on my brother's door and asked him if he got one, too. Our Golden Retriever was barricaded in my brother's room and was trying to rip the door down so it was perfectly obvious there was only one fawn. I couldn't believe my good fortune. But again, it was temporary but we did get to feed Fawn with baby bottles borrowed in the middle of the night from our neighbors.

To this day, when we visit Helena, I take my kids to the Fish and Wildlife animal rehab facility. Always, a variety of animals are in residence and usually bear cubs. Of course, now, they really try to limit human interaction because it helps with successful returns to the wild. We know now that it is not a good idea to have wild animals as pets. I think we knew then, too! And at home, I keep a watch for whales and report what I see on the internet.