Mukilteo Musings

Amazing, Amazing, Amazing

It may be raining and dark and snowy up on Stevens Pass, but I have heard from my kids and they are doing well. When my kids are happy, I am happy and my mind is then open to thoroughly enjoy this morning's front page Seattle Times article.

First of all, an update on my children: Lucas is in Dublin, Ireland taking an intensive course to become certified with an internationally recognized certificate to teach English as a second language. He is staying with a host family. When he arrived at nearly midnight last Saturday, a full swing Irish party was in progress at the family's home. Actually, it was a birthday party for their 21 year old son thrown by the parents but Lucas thought it was pretty cool to walk into Irish music, whiskey and beer right off the bat. He has begun the course and is finding it a challenge but right at his level.

Kaley, on the other hand, auditioned for Whitman's opera. They do an opera every other year and this year it will be Cosi fan Tutte by Mozart. This is one of Kaley's favorite operas and she has been talking about trying out for it since last spring. The leads were pre-selected and filled by seniors and staff leaving 6 girls and 6 boys left for the chorus. The 12 chorus parts were picked by audition. In true Kaley form, she practiced and practiced the soprano part having been recently told she is a soprano. However, when she arrived at the auditions, she realized a good percentage of the more than 20 girls were trying for the soprano parts. She decided to switch to the alto part and sight read the music on the spot. So after never having practiced the audition piece, she got in. This is soooo Kaley!

Now, to the paper this morning: Note to my brother's wife who reads this blog--make sure my brother sees this! I loved this story this morning. A photographer in Alaska captured a wolf fishing along side the bears for salmon. Not only was she trying to catch the fish, she was enormously successful at it. Fifteen salmon became her victims in about an hour. She would run back into the woods with her prey and the guess is she was perhaps handing them off to another wolf to take to a den of pups. Evidently, this is unusual for a wolf to be fishing right with the bears and to be so prolific.

When I was a kid, the Golden Retriever we had from the time I was seven until I was 23 years old----yes, he lived to be 16---was a terrific fisherman. My Dad never used a net when he fished along the Missouri River. Laddie would be at his side and when my Dad would hook a big old trout, he would yell, "Fish on!" Laddie would plunge into the cold river and expertly deliver up a beautiful rainbow trout without a tooth mark on it. As such, I am not surprised that wolves are equally as capable as a spoiled Golden Retriever who would sleep on couches and beds.

What is fascinating is that the wolf and the bears seem to have no problem with each other fishing in the same place. Wolves have been known to attack bear cubs and I wouldn't think an adult mama bear would necessarily be too friendly to a much smaller wolf. Humans always underestimate animals, in my opinion. Also, we have always been told to not feed salmon to our dogs. Our vet has told us this and so has the person at the fish counter at my favorite store. My dog has had severe diarrhea that I attributed to salmon scraps. I guess the wolves' digestive systems are hardier than their domestic cousins.

Enough about this incredible animal story. Here are the pictures to prove it. How lucky was this photographer??? His name is Paul Stinsa.
http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/web/vortex/display?slug=wolf04&date=20071004&query=catch+of+the+day


Paul Stinsa/Special to the Seattle Times


Paul Stinsa/Special to the Seattle Times


Paul Stinsa/Special to the Seattle Times


Paul Stinsa/Special to the Seattle Times