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The pictures tell the story this time -- all Allan's. It was an amazing experience, far better than I expected. We also learned a lot about whales. It was such a privilege to be around these magnificent animals. We weren't out 10 minutes before we saw orcas, humpbacks, and porpoises. Once we learned to identify their blows, we saw humpbacks everywhere! Our guide identified each orca by markings on its dorsal fin. This is a Humpback surface feeding. Several times we saw several whales at once, all around the boat. Steller sea lions -- very big! A whale and the sea lions in the same shot. We saw an epic battle over a salmon. I hope he was able to keep it. Prince of Whales Tours: highly recommended!

This week's day trip with my Mom was the town of Sointula. One of my libraries is located in Sointula, so I've been there a couple of times, but had never had an opportunity to explore the town or surrounding Malcolm Island. Sointula has a fascinating history: it was founded as a socialist, Utopian community by dissident Finnish coal miners! Their vision was equality, community, and self-sufficiency. You can read more about this at a wonderful site that documents Utopian societies in Canada: Canadian Utopias Project . Allan and I always find it interesting that Vancouver Island tourism info about Sointula omits the words strike and socialism . The radical history of this proud little village is diluted to "people who were searching for a better life" -- which is true, but not quite accurate. And boring! It's as if the very mention of the word strike is enough to incite anger -- or longing, perhaps? -- in potential tourists. In this way and a million others, rad...

This adorable little dude was not actually in our backyard, but close enough! He or she was just over the back fence of our next-door neighbour's yard. He was crying and mewing so loudly, we were worried he was scared or in distress. So I spoke to a conservation officer and got a little bear education. He said the bear was frightened up the tree (by the sound of dogs or people) and the vocalizing was telling mama bear where he is. Then when the perceived threat is gone, cub climbs down the tree and reunites with mama. We thought the cub was in distress but he was just staying in touch. Luckily for us he stayed around long enough for some good pics! Here he is without the telephoto lens. Non-bear note. My mother is here for an extended visit. Expect more pics as we show her (some of) the beauty of the North Island.

This weekend we took Kai and Cookie to the beach both days. The beach was Diego's favourite place in all the world, so it was sad to be there without him. But the Littles are so entertaining; they keep us in the moment. Yesterday, however, Cookie put on a show that was anything but entertaining. The dogs were running and playing when, much further down the beach, a woman, a child, and an older dog appeared, walking to the water. The woman had a bucket.  There are houses right near this beach -- for some people, the beach is directly across the street. We didn't know that people fish, clean their catch, and bring the refuse to the water to feed the birds.  Both our dogs took off down the beach, likely to greet the old dog. Eagles and ravens appeared. Our dogs were not far behind. Before I even got close, Cookie splashed into the water, and in a flash was running past me with the head of a salmon in her mouth. I could see the bright red flesh of the fish, the open mouth, the sta...

Check out these incredible photographs of bald eagles at Storey's Beach in Port Hardy, created by my friend sM. The story is here. I wish sM would post more photos! There must be dozens of other great shots that don't meet her standards for public viewing. But these will give you the general idea.

When we moved to Port Hardy, I was sure that none of our Ontario friends would ever visit. It's so far away, and not an easy place to travel to. I was so happy to be wrong! Two sets of close friends have reason to be in Vancouver this year, and are adding on some Vancouver Island vacation, including staying with us for a few days. This makes me so happy! Our friends M@ and sM were here this past week. The timing was a bit mad -- our first days with the full pack of five -- but it was also very fortuitous. Having extra hands-on help with the dogs, and extra eyes with dog experience, definitely helped us over a few speed bumps. San Josef Bay, Holberg, and the Scarlet Ibis pub We took our friends on a  drive/hike to San Josef Bay . As long as visitors want to bother, I'll never get tired of this (although Allan is already tired of it). The road didn't seem quite as long and grueling this time, the hike is brilliant, and the beach is heavenly. If we don't want the hike, we...

We see bald eagles every day here, and we've seen lots of elk -- but they never stick around for a photo. This little guy was munching away, and let us get some pics from the safety of our car. It was a beautiful privilege to see him. No lectures on bear safety, please. I've never forgotten what I learned in Alaska. One bit from the ranger at Denali National Park has always stayed with me: "Bears are mostly vegetarian. They love berries, sweetgrass, and clover. But bears are highly intelligent, with unique personalities. A bear might wake up that morning and feel like eating meat. And you're meat."

My apologies to wmtc readers who saw this on Facebook, but this story must be recorded on this blog! Yesterday morning the dogs were barking at the back door, really going nuts, and not settling down. Checking to see what was going on, I got quite a surprise. A skunk with a container stuck on its head was running in circles, frantically trying to get the thing off. What to do?? I wanted to help it, but I'm not keen on getting skunked! Our dogs have been sprayed many times over the years; our suburban landscape is full of skunks. Watching this poor creature run wildly around the lawn was so horrible. I called Allan to lure the dogs away from the door, then ran outside with a broom. I thought I could knock the container off the skunk's face from a distance, then get inside before he could hurt me. I hit the container with the broom several times, but it wouldn't come off. The whole time I was muttering, please don't spray me please don't spray me please don't spr...

I've begun changing my personal care products to cruelty-free: natural products from companies that are better for the environment and don't test on animals. I'm not sure how far I'll be able to go, but I've begun the process. After a lifetime of using conventional products, I was moved to think more about this by a few different sources. When I worked in the children's library, I often saw a book about animal cruelty. It was not the one I wrote about here , about dogs, but a book in a series called "Tough Issues," similar to the kind of series I used to contribute to. This "tough issue" asked the question, "Why do people harm animals?"  It's a good book, one that successfully treads that very careful line separating honesty from the overly graphic. Even so, there was one image that burned in my brain. (I know this image would have been highly disturbing to me as a child. Considering I saw the image in a children's book, thi...

I've mentioned Beretta Farms in many different posts over the years, but I've never specifically blogged about them. With grilling season underway, it's time to give Beretta a shout-out. When I learned about the horrors of factory farming, first from reading Michael Pollan , and later through other sources, I knew I needed to change my eating habits. I needed to translate my knowledge into action, but I was at a loss for what to do. In the 1990s, I had eaten a vegetarian (almost vegan) diet for more than two years, but it didn't work for me, and I gave it up. I certainly don't eat meat with every meal, but I learned that I do need animal protein for optimal function. But once the curtain had been lifted on the horrors of factory farming, I could no longer stand the thought of contributing to the industrial food chain, especially as it relates to animal abuse. The first step was releasing myself from all-or-nothing thinking about food. We're not going to buy onl...

I'm working on a few actual posts, where I actually write something and you might actually read it. Until those materialize, please enjoy these fine examples of interspecies love. First, the incredible story of Mr. G. and Jellybean. Read more about it here. Bring a tissue. Next, friendship is not just for funny little grass-eaters. Big carnivores have friends, too. And finally, a beautiful German Shepherd and an adorable piglet are in love in BC. Slide show here. Many thanks to Steph and Miss Essie Ash for sharing these! (Can any code-friendly readers tell me why there is a huge space after that second embed?)

After living in the Toronto area for more than eight years, I still had never visited the Toronto Zoo , opting for several trips to Jungle Cat World and the Haliburton Wolf Centre instead (links here and here ). But when one of the polar bears in the Toronto Zoo gave birth in November , there was finally enough incentive to plan a trip. My friend J and I went in March, when the cub was four months old. We took an insane number of photos, which you can see here on Flickr . (The set is about half of what I shot.)