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Publisher (Articles and Inquiries)Bob Fielder

pub lisher@creatu resall.ca

EditorialLinda Fielder

edit or@creatu resall.caDisplay Ad Inquiries

sales@creaturesall.ca

www .creaturesall .ca

Graphic DesignBob Fielder

pub lisher@creatu resall.ca

PrintingQuebecor World

Mailing address:creaturesal l

P.O. Box 126,Langdon, AB T0J 1X0

creaturesall is published 6 t imes per year (February,

April, June, August, October and December) by

1160613 ALBERTA LTD. and distribut ed freely in

Alberta the first week of the publication month.

Advertisers and contributors assume responsibility

and liability for the accuracy of their claims and

statements. The opinions and views expressed in

articles do not necessarily reflect those of the

Publisher or advertisers. creaturesall reserves the

right to refuse any advertising. All submissions will

receive a reply if email address is provided. Writ ersmay submit a story or story idea by email to

pub lisher@creaturesall.ca

Copyri ght 2005 by 1160613 ALBERTA LTD.

In This Issue

Altered Endings Sadie is oblivious to t he fact thatshe is seen as an outcast. 8

YOIKS! Today I was going to confront my arch-enemy. 10

Angelicas Story I was up for a long t ime that night ,

shocked by something my husband confessed. 16

A Wolf Pup Named M oabThe wolf is neither mans

competition nor his enemy. 20

Saying Good-bye to Billy I dont run upstairs now,just to see if hes still alive.

Too Late It happened around 1954 -55 28

Every Crow d has a Silly Rhyming geese are

a gaggle in groups 29

Columns

Wagging Tales stories from a veterinarians clinic 11Creature Feature the Calgary Zoo 13

Taking Dow n the Fences A.I.W.C. 15

Novel Suggestions readers cont ribute book reviews 18

The Wild File Canadian Parks and Wilderness 23

The Gardening Bug the Calgary Horticultural Society 27

The Final Word in the shadow of skyscrapers 30

DepartmentsPubl ishers Not e 5

Letters 7

In Passing 19

Issue 03 December 05/January 06

Cover ArtistWendy Palmer

Wendy Palmer hasalways been intr iguedwit h animals and theirfunny and distinctivepersonalities. Her lovefor all creatures isreflected in the unique

realism of her wildlif epainti ngs. A passion fordetail and f ocus onexpression brings lif e t o

the canvas and breath t o her subject. When theeyes begin to come to life the excitement tofinish the painting erupts .

Wendy is Alberta born and presently resides on

an acreage with her husband Keith, and sons,Brendan and Richard. She manages to weave aprolific amount of painting in amongst hockeygames, golf , skiing, and just being a mom.www.rosehipgallery.com (403)701-9443

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page4

Ke s t re l Rid ge Fa rm Ltd

An ideal location for your next

corporate, family or equestrianevent. Camping, picnic, BBQ, and

inside meeting facilities available

by the hour or day. Boarding,

Lessons and Cl inics avai lable

haul ins w e lco m e .a World Class equestrian

and e ve nt fac ility

a stones throw from Calgary on the Elbow River in beautiful Springbank.

Fo r m o re inform atio n pleas e co ntact:

Les lie Jalko tzy, Ge ne ral Mana ge r 4 0 3 - 2 4 2 - 9 1 1 0 lesliej@KestrelRidgeFarm.com

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page5

It seemed like a good idea at the

time. Traditional wisdom dictates;

combine what you know with what

you love, persevere long enough and

everything will fall into place.

Well, I know graphic arts and

journalism; I have been employed in

the field for over 30 years, and Ive

loved animals all of my life. Ergo, the

birth ofcreaturesall!

Since the first issue hit the st ands

we have enjoyed a 100% pick-up

rate, with every magazine scoopedup. Even with stands restocked up to

twice weekly, we constantly receive

emails from readers wanting to know

if they can get a copy mailed to them

because they are no where to be

found. One of the Charter schools in

Calgary is even using creaturesall in

their curriculum.

Readers love creaturesall, and

for that we are thankful. In truth, the

kudos belong to our contributors.

We are daily in receipt of story uponstory, offered up freely by readers

who want nothing more than to share

their experiences with the rest of us.

This eclectic mix stirred up and

served as creaturesall is a tribute to

those who have unselfishly chosen to

read, then write.

Our cover artists are unparalleled.

Wendy Palmer is this issues guest

artist and nothing can be added to

enlarge upon what is so very obvious

when you view her work. Superb and

from the heart.

It is the quality of our cover

artists, contributors and columnists

which makes it next to impossible to

toss a copy of creaturesall in the

trash, once read. We regularly hear

from readers collecting creaturesall

and from others who have taken our

dictum of guerrilla marketing to

heart and insist on passing their copy

on to someone else when they have

finished with it.

There is, however, one critical

missing ingredient in the mix;

advertising sales. Advertising is the

backbone of any magazine and even

more in the case of a free magazine.

Where better to advertise your

services than in a magazine with a 2month active shelf life? A magazine

sought after and scooped up by

10,000 families and available at over

170 outlets in and around Calgary, a

city of almost one million people.

creaturesall readers buy shoes, cars,

clothes and any of hundreds of other

commodities. Retailers typically

scramble to be associated with the

buying power r epresented within that

demographic.

What is needed is time. Time tolay the groundwork and to build on it.

Specifically, creaturesall needs to

find an individual or group who

believes as str ongly as do I in what we

are trying to do here and to express a

willingness to participate and assist in

seeing we r each our next milestone.

In the absence of such a partner,

difficult decisions will have to be

made r egarding our future. Never has

the t ime been more right for someone

to step forward and declare their

desire to share in this vision. If

you can be a part of the solution,

Id love to hear from you.

(publisher@creaturesall.ca )

Bob & Linda Fielder

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page6

e very best

re for you

your pets.

Phone: (403)569-9474 Cellular: (403)807-3702 Fax: (403)204-7593

Email: owner@dhpetcare.com www.dhpetcare.com

Debra Howe is an Animal Health Technologist with

several years experience in clinical pet care. She is a graduateof both the Animal Health Technology and Fish & Wildlife Programs.

(403) 245-4386 www.mandaleaf.com

GRA PHIC DESI G N

LOGO DESIGN

COPYWRITING

BROCHURES

PAMPHLETS

POSTERS

BOOKLETS NEWSLETTERS

ADVERTISEMENTS

WEBSITE DESIGNgraphic design&things made with leaves

MandaLeafD E S I G N

2006MandaLeafCalendar

AVAILABLESOON!

We are a smallgroup ofvolunteersdedicated to

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You Can donatedirectly toHappyCatSanctuaryat:

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page7

I found your magazine at

Safeway last night. I think you are

on to something great here.

My two cats, both 16 years old,

died within two weeks of each

other. I looked for an affordable,

dignified way of burying or

cremating them. The vet would have

given t hem to the body snatcher s to

be incinerated. Well, I cremated

them myself. For many of us, a

beloved pet is like a child and when

they die I wish we could afford

them similar treatment.

Kathie Bondar

Firstly, I would like to say how

very happy I was to find the first

edition of creaturesall at my library.

I love the philosophy of your

magazine - simply showing

concern for our fellow creatures -

instead of being involved in any

kind of movement or agenda. I

enjoyed t he ar ticles and the

advertising included in the

magazine. MaryJane Danyluk, BA

I have read your last issue of

creatur esall with my husband and

our children. We enjoyed it

immensely. Thank you for sharing

your love for all creatures in this

beautiful publication. I will keep

reading...then write.Lynn Lederhos

I thoroughly enjoyed issue 01

and 02 of creaturesall. I'm an

extreme animal lover and also have

two cats, Punkin and Angus.

The Final Word column, The

Weeping Camel, and Oh, for the

Love of.... in issue 01 really

touched my heart and brought a

tear to my eye. They are wonderful

stories.Corinne Stehr

To the A.I.W.C. and the volunteers

at Wabamun Lake:

I read about your hard work in

creaturesall magazine and wanted to

send heartfelt thanks to all of you.

We may be far away but we still

appreciate your care and concern

for the wildlife in and around the

lake. We admire your dedication!King-Hopes

We would first like to say

THANK YOU for such a great

publication. We have read the #2

edition from cover to cover andenjoyed every article immensely. I

could really relate to the wasp

story as I had a similar experience

with a wasp nest on the ground,

except that in my story I was

moving cattle through trees and

brush and a cow stepped on the

wasp nest. Keep up the great

work. We will definitely pick up

the December issue.Lynda and John Kerekes

I have become an enthusiastic

fan of your wonderful publication

and encourage all I know to read

and enjoy!! I especially enjoyed the

beautiful picture of the bear which

seems to almost jump out from the

page. The poem Natural Selection

was an exceptional piece, obviously

penned by an animal lover.D. Rempel

We picked up your wonderful

magazine, read it all in one evening

and now are waiting for the next

issue; and this one has been on the

stands only 4 days! Looking forward

to the next issue!E. Taylor

Letters to th e editor should be em ailed

to editor@creaturesall. ca. with Letter

to the Editor as the subject line.

L E TTE R Spaw prints and pen scratches

FERRET RESCUE &EDUCATION SOCIETY

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Adopt, Foster,Surrender orBecome a Member

Call567-FRES (3737)

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nriching lives offerrets"

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The very first time I laid eyes on Sadie, my American

pitbull terr ier, is a moment that will remain with me

always.

I picked her up and instantly felt an overwhelming

adoration for this tiny creature cradled up by my face. I

remember thinking that she was going to be the greatest

love of my life and time has proved just that.

As Sadie grew and began chewing through every last

object that she could get into her mouth, I quickly realized

that she was a stubborn, tough dog and she would require

much training and significant patience on my part. I began

slowly by taking her to obedience classes and practicing at

home what we learned there daily. Socialization

played a key role in her schooling and I am a firm

believer that it was that early socialization that played

a significant part in making her the wonderful

companion dog she is today. She has even dona ted her

blood to the canine blood bank.

Sadie is now five years old and is an exceptional

companion and friend. However, I must admit it can

be heartbreaking to walk down the street and seepeople gawking; making me feel I should be

embarrassed or ashamed for having a pitbull as a

beloved friend. Thankfully, Sadie is oblivious to the

fact that she is seen as an

outcast by much of the

world and always seems to enjoy life wherever she goes.

That brings me some comfort, knowing she does not have

to endure the scorn t hat we human companions sometimes

do. Her love is unconditional and inspires me each day.

Being the owner of a pitbull can sometimes seem

unfair. We are not always treated the same as other pet

owners; often excluded from events that involve pets for

the fear of the publics r eaction. This breed of dog is not for

everyone. We who have chosen pitbull companions have to

develop a thick skin and be aware of the prejudice that

comes with owning one of these dogs.

Being the

owner of apitbull

can sometimes

seem unfair.

by Manny DAmico

page8

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page9

Not all pitbulls are as fortunate as

Sadie and many do not always have

the best life. Diablo was dropped off

as a found stray at a veterinary clinic

in May of 2005 with a large gash above

his eye and multiple scars on his face.

He was terrified. Whenever someoneapproached he would run away. He

cowered in fear under the reception

desk at the clinic, until one day

Brandy, a member of the clinic staff,

decided to take him home.

Information was given to the city and

the local SPCA in case his owner

might come to claim him.

Diablo was eventually claimed.

After a few days the owner contacted

Brandy and advised her that he

wanted her to look after him for aweek, as he had no place for Diablo

for the time being. She happily

agreed, but knew, deep down inside,

he would never be back. She asked

him about Diablos history and it was

brought to her attention that, in his

first home, Diablo was often left in his

yard with a much larger pitbull that

would trash him around, causing many

of his scars and the laceration above

his eye. Diablo was then subsequently

moved to another home, but the first

chance he got, he ran away. Thats

how he came to end up at Brandys

clinic in the first place. As she had

anticipated, Brandy never heard from

Diablos owner again.

She and her family were happy to

have the chance to raise him and give

him a better life. Unfortunately

Diablos problems were deeply rooted

as a result of those early life

experiences locked in the yard with

the larger aggressive dog. He had

spent his all too few years fighting for

his life and d id not know how to let his

guard down.

Brandy and her family trieddesperately to help, consulting a

behaviorist, even trying a pet

communicator as a last resort, not

knowing what else to do. Nothing

seemed to work and Diablo was now

full of aggression towards all dogs.

Even more tragic, he began acting

aggressively towards people.

One night Brandy called me in a

panic and told me that Diablo had

attacked one of her other dogs at

home. She rushed both dogs to theemergency veterinary clinic and, after

a short stay, fortunately learned both

dogs were okay... the other dog

however, being more badly injured

than Diablo.

Brandy and her family finally had

to make the heart wrenching decision

to have Diablo euthanized. I spoke to

her moment s before t he sad event was

to unfold and the sorrow in her voice

was all too evident. She was on the

verge of being incapable of speech, she

was so heartbroken. This wonderful,

caring lady and her family, who had

done everything they knew to give

Diablo another chance at life, were

grief stricken that the only way they

could help was to say goodbye.

I, too, was saddened by all that

had transpired. Looking at my own

dog laying on the couch, I reflected

how another was laying on a cold steel

table awaiting death. I wondered if he

knew what was about to happen to

him and if he could talk to us, what

would he say. I tried to put myself in

Brandys shoes and imagined being the

one who had to make the heartbreaking decision to end my best

friends life... of having to kiss his face

one last time as the needle was

injected which would forever end his

world. I felt saddened that all dogs

couldnt have a life like my Sadies; a

life full of walks, lying on the couch,

playing and end ing the day with a belly

rub. It seemed so unfair to me that

they all couldnt have the very best life

had to offer.

Diablos story still lingers with allof us fellow pitbull rescuer s, keeping his

plight in mind with each and every dog

that we save and re-home. His urn sits

on a mantel now as a reminder of the

life that was handed to him and of the

tragic circumstances that, ultimately,

were to take it from him. I have seen

abused, abandoned and mutilated

pitbulls that, once rescued and

nurtured, lead wonderful lives. These

dogs have been through things far

worse than most people could ever

imagine and yet they still continue to be

ambassadors of love, loyalty and

companionship. Sometimes it feels as if

they have r escued us. ca

For further information contact: Manny:

m a n n y d a m i c o @ h o t m a i l . c o m

For a pitbull rescue in Calgary go to:

www.pitbullsforlife.com

A LTE R E D

E N D I N G S

A LTE R E D B E G IN N IN G S

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7:15 a.m.: I awoke in a cold sweat

to the sound of the alarm clock.

For a moment I lay there

confused what was causing these

feelings of apprehension? Then it hit

me. Today was the day. Today I was

going to confront my arch-enemy and

greatest fear. My brain raced for

excuses to cancel. I could say I was

sick, or had a family emer gency. Or

I could tell the shameful truth

that I was afraid. I steeled myself

for the confrontation. I had never

backed down from a challenge

before, and I wasnt about to

start.

8:50 a.m.: I had arrived.

I was about to

beard the beast

in her lair. Other

victims stoodaround chatting,

s e e m i n g l y

unaware of the

imminent peril.

Then we were all

herded together

like sheep, and

entered the room.

We were seated in a circle

around the table. She sat in

the centre, calmly surveying us.

Her minions approached us one byone, and instructed us to extend our

hands. W hen my turn finally arr ived, I

was quaking inside. I felt sick to my

stomach and was sure that she would

sense my fear and strike. I closed my

eyes and held out my hands. I felt a warm,

gentle pressure on my palms. I

opened my eyes an d saw eight of

the most beautiful eyes I have ever

seen. My fear evaporated and I

knew that from then on, I would

fear her no more.

This little drama was enacted

during my time as a volunteer

docent at the zoo. One of the

things we were fortunate enough

to do was interact with some of the animals. I enjoyed the

rabbit, the owls, the porcupine and the snake, but the day

we were to handle the spider was a black day unlike any

other I had yet faced. I had feared all spiders, even the

harmless and cartoonish daddy longlegs, since childhood. I

would have even gone so far as to describe myself as

arachnophobic. I was that afraid. It didnt matter that I

knew spiders wouldnt do me any harm. It didnt even mat-

ter that I knew they had no interest in doing me any harm!

My fear was irrational and unfounded... and real. One of

the goals I hoped to accomplish during my time at the zoo

was to overcome this fear. This was how I found myself

sitting at a table holding a Mexican red kneed tarantula in

my hands.

As I held her, I marvelled at how soft she was. Her

small body was covered with a fine fur, and was very warm.

She settled down comfortably into the palms of my hands,

content to share her space and interact with me. She didnt

care that we had interr upted her morning and were

handing her around the table. If such a creature could be

so tolerant of me, I reasoned, perhaps I could do the same

for she and her kin.

Since that day I have paid special attention to the

spiders I have encountered. It is amazing to me that

their relatively small brains can coordinate eight legs

while I frequently trip over my two. They are

incredible ar tists that create beautiful geometric

designs with their webs, while I can hardly drawa straight line. They are athletes who can leap

several times their own body length, while I

get winded running for the bus. They also do

us an immense service by catching

thousands of insects, including those that

would destroy our crops or carry

infectious disease.

I have learned that spiders are not to

be feared. They are our friends and our

neighbours. They want nothing more than

to be left in peace to go about their

business. The next time you encounterone of our eight-legged allies, consider the

complexity and the beauty this diminutive

creature embodies. They deserve more

than fear and prejudice from us, and I hope

that you will be inspired to give spiders

another look. ca

YOIKS !!Dr. Spiderlove or: How ILearned to Stop Worryingand Love Arachnids. by Sandi Fielde

page10

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I just saw a

guy throw

a kitten

out of the window of his truck!

What should I do? came the frantic

phone call from a client.

W o w I

never knew peo-

ple could be so

cruel!

The client

was on her cell

phone and was

giving us a play-

by-play of howshe had pulled

over on the busy

Deerfoot Trail,

exited her vehi-

cle and gingerly

swooped up the

kitten.

He was crouching with his eyes

closed and leaning up against the

concrete meridian she exclaimed,

Rocks were hitting him as cars

drove by.I was so relieved that this

compassionate client did not get

hurt while rescuing the traumatized

little kitten. She immediately

brought him to the clinic and we

started to work with him. The little

guy was clearly terrorized and was

limping on his hind left leg. We gave

him pain control and anti-inflamma-

tory medications and warmed him

up in an incubator. He purr ed like a

motor as we washed out his eyes

and re-hydrated him with

subcutaneous fluids, following with

a thorough cleansing of the multiple

scratches and scrapes on his tiny

body. Before long the skinny little

guy was calm and began sampling

the food we had placed in front of

him. Even with his foot dangling at

an odd angle, he was able to hobble

around the blanketed interior of the

incubator. Blood tests revealed his

organ health to be close to perfect,

although X-rays showed strained

ligaments of his hind left ankle area.

Fortunately, there were no broken

bones.

It truly

was a mir-

acle that

he wasnthurt an

awful lot

worse! It

was my

o p i n i o n

that t he little kitten was cer tain

to have severe interna l injuries

or broken bones. To this day

It still terrifies me to think

of the sheer horror he must

have felt as cars sped by,

while he lay inches from

Deerfoot Trail!

With no form of identification,

no microchip, no ear tattoo,

no collar, I focused on the possibili-

ty that the kitten may have

inadvertently fallen out of the

truck window, unbeknownst to

the driver. I did not want to

consider the possibility that

someone might toss out a helpless

animal, sure to be run over by a

passing vehicle.

Thus, I phoned the Calgary

Humane Society and asked them to

collect the kitten with the hope that

they may have been able to locate its

owner. Due to the kittens need for

intense hospitalization, it was

decided I should keep him at my

hospital while they searched for his

owner.

Tamara, a kind Animal Health

Technologist student at our clinic

instantly fell in love with the little

kitten and named him Kai. Afterthe 7 day waiting period, and since

the owners were unable to be

located, Tamara joyfully volunteer ed

to adopt him.

As Kai grew, we monitored his

leg and ensured that he was able to

ambulate well. I was so pleased to

hear her response when I asked

Tamara, So, is Kai able to use his

scratching post yet?.

She replied, Not only is he

using his scratching post, but heleaps onto beds, runs up and down

stairs, jumps from the ground to

ever y table and counter in the house

and he chases my

dog everywhere

His injured leg

hasnt slowed him

down one se cond!

should have named

him Dennis the

Menace! Happily

Kais leg healed

amazingly quickly!

It was wonderful to see tha

Tamara and Kai had so totally

bonded to one another. And it was

equally wonderful to witness such a

happy outcome to what could have

been a tragic story! I am blessed to

have so many caring clients and

colleagues who respect and love

animals as much as I do! ca

page11

W AGGING TAL ESstories from a veterinarians clinic

by Dr. Julie Schell BSc(Hons), DVM

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page12

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page13

No, this isnt about knitting or

sewing, Pins and Needles

are the names of two

adorable creatures that are

ambassador animals for the Calgary

Zoo. They are a mother and daugh-

ter pair of North American porcu-

pines. And yes, porcupines are

adorable!

Needles, the mother came to us

on August 7, 1999. In April of that

year, a family, heading out for a camp-

ing weekend, swerved to avoid a

dead porcupine on the country

road they were travelling. Ontheir return along that same

road at t he end of the weekend,

they noticed the dead porcu-

pine was still there. The family

decided to move it

onto the median so other vehi-

cles would not have to

dodge around it,

as they had.

Upon lift-

ing up the

porcup ine,they were

as ton ished

to find a

baby porcu-

pine, under-

neath its dead

mother trying to suckle.

They determined to take the baby

home with the intent of trying to save

her life.

The baby porcupine, now named

Needles, thrived on baby formula and

quickly grew into a rambunctious

little creature that played with the

family dogs. As nature would have it,

she soon became too big for the

family to keep in either their home or

their garden, especially as dogs and

porcupines generally do not fare well

together.

After contact ing the Calgar y Zoo,

the family discovered there was a

rare space available for a porcupine.

Needles, was brought to the Animal

Health Centre wher e she remained in

quarantine for thirty days. The origi-

nal intent was that, when she was

fully grown, she could probably be

released back into the wild.

However, once her quarantine

was complete it was decided that

because of her friendly nature, espe-

cially with dogs and people, it would

not be a good idea to release her. Her

youthful socialization with both people

and dogs led her to become an ambas-

sador animal at the Calgary Zoo.

In the fall and winter of 2003, the

zookeeper looking after Needles,

Brent van Hooft, noticed a wild male

porcupine around the porcupine

habitat. He thought nothing about it

because he was sure the porcupine

could not get into the area with

Needles. But, as the saying goes,

love will find a way, and on May 24,

2004, when Brent went into the

enclosure for Needles morning

feeding and check-up, there snuggled

alongside her mother, lay a little

bundle of Pins. In the early hours of

the morning Needles had given birth

to a daughter.

Now, Needles, Pins and Kakwa

(another rescued female porcupine)

are taken out onto Zoo grounds and

into the classrooms where children

and adults get to meet them.

These people also learn that,

despite persistent public

opinion, porcupines can

not shoot their quills. Infact, porcupine quills are

held very loosely in the

skin and if an animal,

even gently brushes

against the quills, they

come out easily.

Porcupines instinctively

present their rear end if

being chased, which is

where most of the longer

quills are located. So if a dog

or other pursuer rushes headlong into the undergrowth to

investigate a porcupine, you can

almost guarantee it will retreat just as

quickly with a snout full of quills.

These gentle, nocturnal animals

are very slow moving. Despite that,

their only predators are bobcats,

cougars, coyotes and wolves, who

nature has taught to avoid the

porcupines quills by flipping them over

to expose their unprotected underbelly.

Of course, a s is so often the case

in nature, their deadliest enemy can

be man, whose vehicles take a toll on

these gentle creatures. They often

ventur e onto roadways at n ight to lick

salt, spread (also by man) to help

with deicing. So please, drive

carefully and watch out for

porcupines when they are out and

about at night looking for food and

doing whatever porcupines do. ca

CR EATUR E FEATUR Eon pins and needles

by Kathleen Hewitt

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page14

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page15

TAKING D OW N THE FENC ESA 21 Fawn Salute: AIWCs Year of the Deer

by Robyn Roper

AIWC cares for nearly 2000

injured or orphaned wild

animals annually, generally

between May and September. With

so many animals, its hard to tell one

years busy season

from anothers.

Luckily, each

year has its

highlights,

and 2005

has been

A I W C s

Year of the

Deer! Todate, we have

provided care for

21 deer, up four-fold from

previous years. Trauma from

vehicular collisions is the primary

injury we see to these fawns or their

mothers. AIWCs educat ion campaign

to inform the public about natural

fawn rearing practices has

successfully reduced fawn-nappings.

Although we generally do not

name animals in our care, 11 fawnswere named in order to enable us to

monitor individual progress while

housing them together in our outdoor

fawn corral, allowing them

to socialize without becoming

habituated to humans. Here is the

story of just one of these fawns.

Late one night in early

September, a storm was brewing and

there came a knock at our door.

Windswept in the rain, stood a

rugged man. Do you want a fawn?

he asked in a deep, no-nonsense

Crocodile Dundee accent. The fawn

was described as a t iny newborn that

had been hit by a car.

While we ran to grab blankets,

the man disappeared momentarily

and returned with a kicking and

moaning 70 pound fawn slung effort-

lessly over his shoulders. Where do

ya want her? he asked. As we

quickly made a padded room for her

we determined she was an older

white-tailed fawn with fading spots.

The tip of her ear was torn, her eye

was swollen shut and her knees (car-

pus joints) were bruised and

scraped. She couldnt

stand and her neck

twisted sinuously to

one side while her

eyes twitched rhyth-

mically back and

forth. Upon further

consultat ion with our

vet, we began treat-ment and learned the

next morning she could

stand, albeit with great diffi-

culty, while the head trauma caused

her to stumble. Her improvement was

extremely slow but eventually became

steady.

Due to her gorgeous red fur and

the priceless looks of curiosity she

aimed our way, with her head cocked

to one side as if to say, Have you

brought my favorite - fresh willowbranches?, she was named Lucille,

after Lucille Ball.

After three weeks indoors spent

circling and regaining her balance,

Lucille joined the fawns in the outdoor

corral. In the fresh outdoors, her

improvement skyrocketed and she

was soon ready for release. So

quick and agile was she at the end

of her stay, we were unable to catch

her for transport to the same release

location as the other fawns. Instead,

we opened the gate to the corral

one evening after seeing a

herd of white-tails near-

by and let her join

them when she felt

like it. Lucille and

her new gang

can still be seen

frequenting AIWCs

property.

Now, the fawns have almost all

been released. We have much more

time on our hands, and yet we miss

the chaos. Each is unique and it was

a privilege to be a small part of what

hopefully is just the beginning of their

lifes story. But then, just as we are

coping with our empty nest

syndrome, what should occur but one

of lifes little mysteries in mid

October a newborn white-tail fawn is

left orphaned when her mother is hit

by a car. Now Rosie will spend her

winter with us. ca

AIW C hopes this article will encourage

readers not to be alarmed if they

encounter a newborn fawn alone and to

slow down and pay close attention for

wildlife when driving through the

country or city green spaces, especially

at dawn and dusk when collisions are

most frequent. If you find an injured or

orphaned animal, do not hesitate to

contact AIW C for assistance.

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page16

There are many extraordinary stories about horses

and humans finding one another in fantastic

circumstances. I never dreamed t hat I would ever be

at the centre of one such amazing account.

I started my own remedial training centre a few years

ago. Based on horse psychology and behaviour, the non-

traditional technique I use for instruction seeks to educate

humans on how horses communicate. I endeavor to explain

their often misinterpreted behaviour to humans. This

journey has allowed me to share my program, which

consists of learning life-skills thr ough the way of the horse .

I lear ned ear ly on that I would need an equine par tner

to help me grow and further develop my theories. Nikitacame along quite unexpectedly and fit the bill perfectly.

Her gentle ability to teach and her great sensitivity allowed

me to learn rapidly and perfect my non-traditional

methods. She helped me establish some important

fundamentals in honouring a relationship with a horse and

pushed me to believe in myself, the knowledge I have and

the journey I am on. She showed tremendous patience with

me and my uncertainties, for which I will forever be

grateful.

Nikita and I became close friends and she is the model

for my relationship riding logo. With her help, I was able

to convince many horse owners that there is far more tohorses than what they have learned up until now. Sadly,

Nikita died tragically while giving birth on May 16 of this

year. The image of her flat on her stomach, hind limbs in a

frog-legged position, only able to push her foal half way out

before he succumbed, stays in my mind to this day.

Right there and then, I decided to shut down my

business and to stop working with horses. The thought of

continuing without Nikita was simply unbearable.

Suddenly, I felt I no longer had anything to t each. My mind

went blank from the moment my teacher lay dead on the

ground, taking with her everything I knew about horses.

But the thought of quitting didnt linger long, as a

str ong and compelling voice inte rrupted my grieving, t elling

me, Are you going to quit after all I have taught you?

People need to know and you need to tell them.

I know, without a doubt, that that voice belonged to

Nikita. She was right, I had a job to do, a purpose in life,

and I had to go on, even without her.

So the journey to find another equine friend started. I

knew of lots of horses, all of them very special and unique

in their own way, but I had a feeling that they were not

meant for this job and certainly not up to replacing Nikita.

They either didnt pass their veterinarian pre-purchase

examination, were no longer for sale, or someone beat me

to them. Those that did show potential were always

unavailable. I decided to pack it in... my next horse would

just have to find me. The universe knew what I was trying

to accomplish with horses and humans and I trusted the

universe to send me my perfect equine partner.

Meanwhile, I had horses to train, lessons to teach, a

business to r un.

Angelica came into my life t hree year s ago, long before

Nikita, when I was searching for the perfect horse to help

in the establishment of my equine business. She was goingon two at t he t ime and had a loving personality. I was doing

quite a bit of work where she was kept so we got to know

each other pretty well. I think our favourite moment in a

day was when I sat on t he fence, just admiring Angi and he r

pasture mates. She would come up to me for some

snuggles, stretching out her neck and sniffing my face. I

would rest my head right on hers and we would often let

out a sigh of contentment. For me, happiness meant spend-

ing a quiet moment with Angi, where neither one of us

expected or demanded anything from the another. That is

what I call true friendship.

It took me a while to realize at that time that she hadall the qualities I was looking for in a spokes-horse, even

though she was very young. As a result of my

procrastination, when I finally did make an offer to buy

her, she was already spoken for. I gave up on owning her

but luckily ended up with my fabulous mare Nikita instead.

Now, several years later, with Nikita gone, I got the

phone call on a Sunday evening. The lady who now owned

Angelica wondered if I might be able to find good homes

for some of her horses. She knew I was familiar with

Aztecas because I owned one that was becoming quite

popular; even being featured on the front page of

newspapers! What she didnt know was that I had tried to

track her down when Nikita died to see if she would

consider se lling me Angelica. After all this time had passed,

I learned she had kept my business card and, having

contacted me, was happy to know that I would not only be

able to help find homes for two of her Aztecas, but that I

wanted one for myself!

I flipped through every possible card in my emotional

Rolodex on my way to see Angelica again after all these

year s. I was both excited and frightened. I was imagining a

S T O R Yby Barbra-Ann Lachance, EBW

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page17

future with her, even n ow, be fore I had placed my offer. But

I was all too aware of the obstacles that might get in the

way of owning her. I relived our earlier memories of cud-

dles on the fence, not knowing if she would still be the

horse I knew many years ago. Its a good thing I wasnt

driving the car, my mind was all over the place!

Angelica was just as beautiful and sweet as when I had

seen her last. She was all grown up now, but there was a

mischievous, playful look in her eyes. I slowly approached

her and let her smell my hand, clothes, face and hair. She

seemed to be searching the memories, trying to recall

where she had encountered this human before. Her mane

was long and d ark, her body a greying dun color. Suddenly,

nothing and no one else mattered; it was just her and I,

enjoying a very special moment, rediscovering each other.

After establishing a few ground rules, Angelica proved

to have the qualities I was looking for in an equine partner.

Confidently, I rode her in a treeless saddle with only a

halter and she was a per fect dream. I knew she had bucked

off her trainer in the past and she could be challenging

given the right circumstances, so I was careful about my

demands and made sure I stayed respectful and realisticabout our new found friendship. After I dismounted,

her owner told me Angi hadnt been ridden in over

a year! That wonderful horse showed me that she

was willing to trust me. I was going to do the same.

I became very excited, imagining owning Angelica

and again started dreaming what our future together

could look like. I was still grieving Nikita and wasnt

sure it was the right time to get involved in another

relationship with a horse. I was up for a long time

that night, thinking ever ything over and shocked by

something my husband confessed. He had always

been a quiet bystander in my business, drying mytears during my battles to save equines, encourag-

ing my crazy dreams. But this time, he set aside his

very manly ego and admitted to something which

heretofore had been totally out of his belief system.

While I was getting Angelica saddled up, he had

held on to her lead rope. At that very moment, she

put her velvety nose on his chest and he heard her

voice, loud and clear, asking him to convince me

to take her home! When he admitted this to

me, I knew without a doubt that she was right

for me.

I strongly believe that when things are

meant to be, everything happens as it

should. The following day, I had an email

message from Angelicas owner saying they

accepted my offer and t hat she was mine!

I intentionally left out the best part of this

story: Angelica is Nikitas daughter! The physical

resemblances to her mother are striking, but as I am

finding out, her temperament and personality are quite

different. Nikita had a ser ious temperament, reminding me

of a schools headmaster. Rarely did I find her to be

playful. Angelica, on the other hand, cant keep things

serious for too long. Shes always finding ways to make me

laugh through her curiosity and spontaneity. She is also

teaching me a lot regarding horse/human relationships, as

well as human/human relationships.

Angelica and I are presently getting to know each

other. Through ground work, riding and play, we are

establishing a strong relationship based on love, trust,

respect and harmony. I see a lot of her mothers qualities

in her, but she is very much her own horse.

Angelica will be an assistant-facilitator and will be used

for demonstrations and clinics, taking over from her Mom.

I really look forward to all the great adventures that await

us. Suddenly, I have a huge smile on my face and

excitement in my eyes. This adorable Spanish mare has

given me back my wings to fly and together, we will soar

the skies, encouraging others to do the same. ca

You are all welcome to visit.

Contact us at:

relationshipriding@telus. net orvisit:

www.relationshipriding.com

pho

tocourtesy

:John

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page18

NO VEL SUGGESTIO NSreaders contribute their book reviews

send your review to edit or@creaturesall.ca

As you and your family gather around the fire this

Christmas Eve, prepare some frothy hot chocolate and

read aloud Mooseltoe. This charming verse story, told in

a singsong rhythm, stars a moose who, with checklist in hoof

and ho ho hos on his mind, sets out to make sure everything

is perfectly perfect in preparat ion for the season.

Hes shopped till he dropped. Hes baked tons of tins of cookies.

Yes, so easy and, but of course, so per fectly perfect.

But, comes Christmas Eve and Moose discovers a terrible

moosetake has been made. One item on his oh so

perfectly perfect list has gone unchecked. Perhaps the

most important item of all!

Pop! What happened? cried Junior. You forgot the

tree!

The crayon illustrations by Henry Cole make much of

Moose's endless handlebar moostache and, as we learn

Mooses surprising solution to what might have been an

unperfectly perfect Christmas, his ingenious moostachemachinations will draw children into the story and cause

even the most cynical to smile.

This is a fun to read book, and one which children will

treasure as a true holiday tradition.

Do animals think? In spite of decades of research, sci-

entists have as yet to agree on the answer. In The Parrot's

Lament, Eugene Linden turns the question right around and

wonders aloud; What might animals reveal about them-

selves and their intelligence through the way they interact

with both humans and the creatures around them?

Anecdotes of animal humor, game playing, trade and

barter, conflict resolution, scheming, and empathy, as well

as tales of escape, heroism, and deception have all been

unearthed through Lindens research talking to zookeep-

ers, r esearchers, therapists, and trainers.

An orphaned leopard, Harriet, hand-raised in India

before later being returned to the wild, must rely on her

memory and the bonds of human trust cast many year s ear-

lier when flooding river waters imperil her and her young

cubs. Orky, a killer whale, seemingly makes the conscious

decision to t ry to a lert his human handler s to t he grave con-

dition of his, as yet unborn, baby. Through the ways in

which animals react and interact with we humans they

show us, if we pay proper attention, something of who they

are . We can learn something about ourselves, a s well.

From the beautiful black cat on the front cover, to thevery last Smarter than Jack story in the back, this is a fun

book for cat lovers everywhere; a grea t Christmas idea that

will leave you feline fine.

All 89 stories are contributed by real people and are

about real cats that have touched their lives; cats that

entertain, enlighten and, in some cases, save lives and sanity.

There is a cat who helps plant t he garden, and another

who intimidates a Great Dane... talk about attitude!

Tinkerbell brought a small measure of peace to a child

in an orphanage and Minou plays piano. Fats dances and

Squeaky is a scientist who studies H2O. Toi-Toi catches eels

and Minja goes grocery shopping.

Part of the Smarter Than Jack series by Avacodo

Press, Cats Are Smarter Than Jack, gives an insight into

these wonderfully delightful creatures who agree to accept

us as friends, if not equals.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the Smarter

Than Jack series supports animal rescue organizations

around the globe, including the Alberta SPCA and the

Calgar y Humane Society. Available in bookstores and your

local animal shelter. ca

Mooseltoe

by Margie Palatini,

illust. by Henry ColeHyperion Books for Children

32 pp., ISBN 0-786-80567-6

hard cover.reviewed by Susan Hooper

The Parrots Lament

by Eugene Lindon,

illust. by Boris Kulikov

A Dutton Book

190 pp., ISBN 0-525-94476-1

hard cover.reviewed by Alex Upton

Cats Are Smarter Than Jack

Compiled by Jenny Campbell

illust. by Boris Kulikov

Avacodo Press 2005

160 pp., ISBN 0-958-25716-7

soft cover.reviewed by Patricia Grant

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page19

Ceil idh

Ceilidh was a rescue Westie. She

was a small girl, very quiet and shy,

who came into our lives in the summer

of 2002. She had no tattoo and no

microchip. When we contacted Westie

Rescue to try and place the little dog,

they asked us if we could provide tem-

porary shelter. We readily agreed.

Her health was not good. Our veterinarian suspected

that she might have diabetes insipidus, her teeth were in

poor condition and she limped noticeably on her left rear

leg. He estimated her age to be around 11 years.

We loved her on sight and couldn't put her out for

adoption through Westie Rescue. Our group, two youngWesties and a Rough Collie accepted her immediately.

Although shy at first, Ceilidh settled in very quickly and had

an enjoyable summer with an official Westie grooming!

In September Ceilidh took part in the Third Annual

Westie Walk in Confeder ation Park. None of the local kennel

owners recognized her. Over the next few months her teeth

were fixed and the diabetes insipidus became manageable.

She seemed to be a happy little dog. Our Collie really seemed

to enjoy having the three Westies to watch over.

In the spring of 2004 Ceilidh's general health started

to deteriorate. Our vet worked on her problems, but she

became progressively weaker and early in April she was ingreat distress with her breathing and to everyone's

extreme sadness went to the Rainbow Bridge early on a

sunny morning.

Although we only had her a short time, our family

experienced a terrible loss. We loved that little girl. She

had two great summers with us. We wish that she could

have been with us longer.Passed Away on : 4/3/04

Cur t ains

Curtains the cat was a bit dopey, as

cats go. He tended to drool too much and

really never mastered the grooming

thing. He spent the first 15 years of his life

cowering under furniture and bed linens

and his last six, as an adventurer. Now,

some three years since hes been gone,

we still miss him. He had a long and good

life and we are all better people for having

had him share it with us. There never was a better cat.

Passed Away on : 6/24/02

Nikit a

Nikita,

my dearest friend.

Although you no longer canter

on the earth's surface, you will

always, always, be with me in spirit.

I was blessed to have known you,

to have been your student.

Your wise teachings helped me learn and grow

in ways that would not have been possible

through traditional methods.

I will honor your passage on this earth

by passing along what you taught me

and continuing my journey

through the way of th e horse.

Forever, you have left hoof prints on my heart.

Forever I will honor you.

Thank you for the gift.

Passed Away on: 5/16/05

Send your tributes commemorating the departure of an

animal friend to editor@creaturesall.ca with In Passing as the

subject line. Not all material received will necessarily be

printed and is subject to editing. Include Passed Away on

date. and a 300 dpi photo should you choose to include one.

IN PASSINGcelebrating the lives of animal friends

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t was a sunny July day, 2004, when my family embarked upon a

daytrip from Invermere, B.C. Our destination was Golden and the

Northern Lights Wolf Wildlife Centre. Friends of ours from

Newfoundland had visited the centre in June and had enchanted uswith stories of an infant wolf cub named Moab.

My two young daughters, Hanna and Emily, listened to their

stories with eyes as wide as owls. The girls previous life experiences

had provided them with mainly two images of wolves; one as the

infamous big bad wolf of fairy tales and the other as the werewolf

from stories such as Harry Potter. I must admit that my personal

knowledge of wolves was only slightly greater than the literary

stereotypes of my daughters. However, we have a saying in our family

that animals need to live free and in the wild and wolves definitely

fit with that mantra.

At the Northern Lights Wildlife Centre, Shelley Black, an adven-

turer, e ducator, and conservationist who operates t he centre with her

husband, Casey, greeted us. She directed us to an outside area with

enclosures housing the wolves. There were five wolves and

informative signs set up, introducing us to the pack.

Aspen is a wolf dog: 25% Husky and 75% Grey Wolf. She came

to Shelley and Casey in 1998 and they spent a whole year observing

her behaviour and learning about wolves. Maya and Tuk are siblings

and exhibit what is known as the black phase of the

Grey Wolf in terms of their coloring . They are both

quite shy around humans, but loving and respectful

of their fellow pack members.

page20

IFOLPUP NAMED MOA

by Pam Clark

A

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Wiley was only nine days old when he came to

Northern Lights, and was immediately taken under Mayas

wing. He is a friendly and mischievous ambassador for the

centre. Moab was the star we had come to see, the small

scampering wolf cub who

had enchanted our

friends.

My girls enjoyed

watching all the wolves

and understood that they

were all part of the Grey

Wolf family, even though

their coloring ranged

from black to caramel.

They were especially

entranced by Moab, who

dug incessantly around

his newly made den, nuz-

zled his surrogate wolf

mother named Maya, and

scampered and tumbled

as our own dogs did.However, as cute and cud-

dly as he was, Shelley

reminded us that Moab

was a grey wolf and a

wild animal.

Hanna and Emily lis-

tened intently, but then

Hanna asked a question

that I, too, had been wondering. If wolves live free and in

the wild, what were they doing here? Were they born

here? Shelley explained that the centre had adopted each

of the wolves in the pack as pups. Tuk and Maya were sib-lings, but had not been imprinted by humans when they

came to live at the centre. Humans imprinted Wiley and

Aspen at an early age; thus, they had become the centres

education ambassadors, visiting school groups. Moab was

touted as a future ambassador, having come to the centre

at only 4 weeks old. Bottle-fed in the beginning, Moab had

already been imprinted thr ough many daily human interac-

tions.

Shelley also explained to us that wolves naturally live

in a pack and it was not surprising that they had formed

their own pack. She and Casey were the Alpha of the pack.

I was particularly touched by the relationship between

Maya (Beta), the female black grey wolf and the newest

pack member, Moab. Their bond had been forged when

Maya had dug the den for Moab, where he had slept as a

cub. She had initiated the regurgitation of her food for him,

as is the nature of wolves, and had clearly taken on the role

of surrogate mother. Shelley indicated that Maya had also

done this for Wiley when he was a pup.

Amidst all this information and watching of wolves,

Hanna asked Shelley if she could touch Moab. Shelley

graciously replied that Moab was almost too big for cud-

dles, but that she would bring him out of the enclosure to

meet the girls. Ecstatic, yet cautious, Hanna and Emily

were able to stroke Moabs fuzzy puppy fur and smell his

wild smell and, for an instant, our two worlds joined. I

remember feeling a mixture of motherly protective instinct

for my girls coupled with sheer joy at this experience of a

lifetime.

The girls summer 94 scrapbooks are filled with

mementos, photos, drawings and journaling about that

daytrip to Northern Lights. They were able to make

connections with our own dogs, Maggie and Ellie, who are

sisters and my daughters identified some of Maggie and

Ellies natural, feral instincts as wolf-like.

The following summer, a highway sign coincidentally

caught our eye en route to Invermere. Meet Maya and

Moab, the sign proclaimed. It appeared our two favorite

wolves in the world were right in our backyard at a satel-

lite wildlife centre, which had opened up at Grey Wolf,

Panorama Resort. The girls and I headed up the following

day; eager to see how the wolves had grown. Moab was not

the furry ball of fire we had met twelve months previous.Instead, he weighed 85 lbs, had grown a majestic coat of

cinnamon fur, but was the same Moab we remembered

when he was next to Maya. Their bond was so evident. As

they lay side by side, their bodies touching, they reminded

me of our nine year old Lab/Border crosses, who always

touch.

This second meeting encapsulated for me the very

essence of the nurturing instinct, whether in domesticated

or wild animals. In fact, Shelley and Casey Black, as the

Alpha Omega of the pack, also demonstrate that same

instinct with their lifes work and devotion to educating us

and our children about wolves in our ecosystem. They arecommitted to eradicating the image of the wolf as a

predator to be feared. Rather, their goal is for society to

recognize that the wolf is neither mans competition nor

his enemy. He is a fellow creature with whom the earth

must be shared. Through education and protection in our

National Parks and beyond, the wolf may indeed remain

free and in the wild, but there is great fear that their

habitat is being encroached upon by humans and, with

that, goes their freedom.

My family was forever changed by this meeting with

Moab and Maya and my daughters continue to be interested

in wolves and, indeed, the plight of all animals in general. In

fact, my eldest daughter, now eight year s old, plans to make a

career of caring for rescued animals. Thus, one short daytrip

resulted in a lifetime of memories, with our entire family

deeply affected by the imprint the wolves left upon us. ca

Website links:

www.canadianwolves.net

www.wolfsongalaska.org/wolves_canada_importance.htm

infor@northernlightswildlife.com

page21

8/14/2019 CA03_Dec05Jan06

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page22

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page23

Some call them shor t, fluffy owls

on stilts. While not a flattering

description, it is an apt one for

the Burrowing Owl. A prairie owl,

now found mostly in Alberta and

Saskatchewan, the Burrowing Owls

long thin legs allow them to see

farther across their flat landscape.

Their small stature also allows them

to nest in abandoned badger or

ground squirrel burrows, which they

line with dried cow or hor se manure.

Inside the burr ow, young owls make a

sound similar to a r attlesnake to ward

off predators.These unusual traits make them

uniquely suited to life on the prairie,

where theyve long coexisted with

grazing animals like bison and cattle.

But today the population is declining

at a rate of 20% per year, causing

scientists to predict that this once

common species will become extinct

in Canada in less than 20 years unless

this trend is reversed. In 2003,

scientists estimated that there were

less than 500 breeding pairs ofBurrowing Owls in Canada, down

from approximately 2000 pairs in

1977. They are considered

endangered in Saskatchewan,

British Columbia and Manitoba, and

threatened in Alber ta.

Why is this small, unobtrusive

species on such a steep slope towards

extinction? In the seventy-odd years

since modern agricultural practices

were introduced to Canadas pr airies,

over 75% of wild, native grasslands

have been replaced by crop land and

urban development. What is left is

largely sliced up by roads and oil and

gas development. Its tempting to

point to this loss of habitat as the

major reason for the owls dwindling

numbers.

Indeed, scientists say its likely

some complex mix of factors are

causing Burrowing Owls to decline,

including; predation by hawks,

falcons and badgers, the decrease in

burrowing animals and burrows, the

loss of suitable habitat , collisions with

vehicles, decreases in available food

and the use of pesticides on crops.

But as the challenges mount for

this owl on the edge, so does the num-

ber of people climbing on board to do

something to save them. Today there

is a web of partnerships between gov-

ernment agencies, universities,

non-government organizations, indus-

try and landowners working together

to save the Burrowing Owl fromfalling through the cracks.

The Burrowing Owl National

Recovery Team is comprised of over

40 members, who co-ordinate conser-

vation efforts among their respective

organizations. Some current

initiatives include; the release of

captive-bred owls in BC, studies on

nesting success using a miniature

camera slid into the burrow on a long

flexible tube, increasing prey supplies

to reduce the mortality ofyoung owls, and isotope

research to determine where

the birds came from.

Operation Burrowing

Owl in Saskatchewan and

Operation Grassland

Community in Alberta are

two successful voluntary

stewardship programs which

involve landowners in the

protection of nesting

habitats. These programs

have enlisted the help of over

700 landowners in the two

provinces, protecting 50,000

hectares of owl nesting

habitat. Landowners report

the number of owls on

their land and promise to

keep owl nesting areas

as pesticide-free, grazed

grassland.

Widespread education is a critical

aspect of Burrowing Owl recovery

because the species is typically found

in places that are very accessible to

the public. The Moose Jaw Burr owing

Owl Interpretive Facility and the

Owls on Tour program, within

southern Saskatchewan schools, raise

awareness of the Burrowing Owls

habitat requirements and its need for

protection.

Whether these efforts will save

the Burrowing Owl from extinction

remain to be seen. Clearly, the odds

are stacked against this small prairieowl, which cannot afford continued

population losses for much longer.

But the groups and individuals

involved remain dedicated to their

work and cautiously hopeful. Perhaps

with the continued effort of the

ranchers, biologists, non-profit

groups, school children and govern-

ment, this species can become, once

again, a common sight on Canadas

prairies. ca

THE W IL D FIL Ethe burrowing ow

by Shannon Curry

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24/32

page24

w w w . g p m a r t i n . c o m

403-286-7476

1-877-286-7470

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of your pets!

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page25

aying good-bye to a

friend who has

curled up on your

lap and chased

away loneliness

every night for 16 years isnt easy. Its

made even harder when its left up to

you to decide the moment of that

final farewell.

We got Billy from the Humane

Society 16 years ago, when he was

two. He was funny and playful and

when he put his paws around my

daughters neck and gave her a hug,

she, and we, were hooked.

I feared at the time it might just

be a trick to get us to take him home

where he would be free to express his

nasty-tempered side. But the playfuldisposition hed shown us at the

Humane Society really was his true

personality. We especially loved how

he could always find the gift marked

Billy amongst the piles of gifts

under the Christmas tree.

About six years ago he was

diagnosed with feline urinary disease

and our vet told us Billy most

probably had but a couple of years

left. He did well on a low protein diet,

although over the years, he graduallylost weight an d his fur became scruffy

and easily matted. But he remained

feisty, ate well and maintained a good

quality of life defined as being able

to drink out of the toilet, jump on the

cupboards and bask hours on end in

his favourite sunbeam.

Last December Billy showed

signs of beginning to fail. He had

occasional bowel and gastrointestinal

problems, loss of appetite and he

slept more than usual. We let him

open his Christmas present early, just

in case. But he rebounded and

celebrated his 18th birthday in

January.

The kitty wed had before Billy lived

to age 19. I wanted her to die peacefully

at home, but I waited too long. I

think she suffered unneces-

sarily because of my

inability to make

a decision. I was determined to learn

from my experience.

This spring and summer I had

several trips planned, both for

business and pleasure, but I worried

about leaving Billy. I arranged for a

loving, kind pet sitte r t o come in daily

to feed, pat, comfort and befriend

Billy. I talked to my vet clinic and

developed a personal directive for

Billy. We talked about what

arrangements should be made in case

of sickness or death while I was away

and I gave them my credit card

number to cover any expenses. They

showed me that by signing a

euthanasia certificate, I could give

them the authority to end Billys

suffering, if necessary. I made a notethat if he was sick to the point of

needing treatment, I wanted him to

be euthanized rather than be

subjected to antibiotics, fluids, tests

and other procedures that would

be very stressful and of little long

ter m value.

Once my daughter and I had

discussed this she was authorized to

make any decisions regarding his care.

The pet sitter knew that if there were

any concerns, she was to contact her. Ileft the cat carrier and a blanket in the

bedroom. And I said good-bye to Billy

each time I left, just in case.

I was told that sometimes when

their owners are away, pets heave a

sigh of relief that they dont have to

keep hanging on.

But Billy waited for me.

After one particular trip,

he cuddled next to me all

night and didnt get off the

bed when I got up in

the morning. Over

the next few

days,

he stopped eating and drinking and it

was painful to watch his slow, stiff

movements. The day came when,

after looking all over and finally

finding him in the farthest corner

under t he bed, I knew it was time. He

didnt want to be cuddled, he just

wanted to hide, a s if he were trying to

distance himself from me because he,

too, knew it was time.

Cat carriers, cars and vet clinics

were Billys worst nightmare and I

was determined his last moments

were not going to be stressful nor

fearful. I had learned that some

veterinarians will do house calls for

euthanasia and I made what I truly

believe to be this most compassionate

of arrangements. It was all ver y gentleand peaceful and I was comforted in

knowing that the timing was right.

In some ways its a relief. I dont

run upstairs now, when I get home

from work, just to see if hes still alive.

I dont have a litter box in my bedroom

and a plastic drop sheet covering my

bed anymore. I can turn over in bed at

night. And Im grateful I have two other

cats who try to fill in the gap. ca

Did you know that in-home euthanasiawas an option?? Anyone over the age

of 18 is advised to have a personal

directive for medical care. It only

makes sense that we, as agents for our

pets, see that we establish

one for them, as

well. Talk to

your vet.

Saying good-bye to Billy by Carol MacLeod

S

8/14/2019 CA03_Dec05Jan06

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page26

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page27

Today is a good day. Im drink-

ing tea on my patio while I

watch the chickadees politely

waiting their turn to visit the bird

feeder. The 8

inch diameter

spider web

behind my head

has netted a few

small flies. The

ants are dili-

gently farming

the aphids and

the ladybugs are

assiduously eat-ing the aphids.

A few magpies

are screeching at each other from my

neighbours pine tree. Its quiet so far

today in my back garden, but I know

all that can change in a flash if my

dog spots a squirrel.

It started innocently enough with

a few small potted marigolds and

petunias. Then came the garden

along with the purchase of a house.

Then a few more plants and a tree togo in the garden. Then a bigger

flower bed to fit in more plants.

Before I knew it I was bitten by the

garden ing bug.

What I didnt expect were the

things that would grow alongside the

flowers. In no time at all I noticed

that I was getting a lot more bugs in

my garden. Ants were scurrying

around, bees were tap dancing on the

new flowers, spiders were making

webs everywhere and, joy oh joy, but-

terflies were fluttering in to visit and

leave again.

Next to come were the birds.

Within no time at all I had robins

pulling worms out of my lawn, a nest

of sparr ow babies in the t ree and reg-

ular visits from the loud grackles.

Then the dreaded happened. I

found aphids sucking the life out of

my pretty new plant and some sort of

wasp cutting circles out of my roses

leaves. Well, it didnt take me long to

respond the way most people do

when this happens . Yes, I got the

spray can and powders and

starting fighting back.

I shudder now to think

about the damage I did

without even being aware of

it. The sprays that I used to

kill the aphids also killed the

ladybugs that eat them. Im

sure you can take a good

guess as to which came back

to my garden first! Hint: itwasnt the ladybugs.

And the leaf-cutter

wasps; they were only taking a few

rounds to make a home while

repaying me by eating loads of nasty

bugs. So, to counter the loss of the

insect predators I had poisoned, I felt

I had to start spraying even more to

try to kill all the nasty bugs myself.

Meanwhile, I noticed I wasnt getting

the baby birds and the butterflies

werent visiting as often.It took me a few years and a

box of assorted poisons before it

began to sink in. Mother Nature

doesnt work this way, so why am

I?! It took a lot of patience, reading

all kinds of information and a few

chewed and eaten plants before my

re solve to not sprinkle or spr ay paid

off. Now I am able to sit on my pat io

and wat ch ever ything taking care of

each other.

Since joining the Calgary

Horticultural Society I have learned

that this is called Naturescaping.

You choose the trees, shrubs and

flowers that you want and that

benefit urban wildlife (the birds, bees

and bunnies that live in Calgary with

us) and in return they will take care

of the gardens pest problems for

you and entertain you while you sip

your tea.

Its easy to do. By planting a lilac

shrub you are providing nectar for

butterflies and hummingbirds and

winter food and shelter for birds,

squirrels and jackrabbits. By planting

a few flowers around it, such as bee

balm, phlox or dianthus you can keep

these creatures in your garden all

summer. Give it a try and see what

you can see outside your window. ca

For more information on Naturescaping

and to see it in practice you can visit the

new Naturescape Display Garden, built

August 2005 by the CHS in conjunctionwith the City of Calgary or visit our

website at www.calhort.org

THE GAR D EN ING BUGoutside my window

by Judi Schof ield

8/14/2019 CA03_Dec05Jan06

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G

allantr y and heroism belong to more creatures than

just men and mankind. There are stories out there

of bravery and sacrifice among the animals that

defy description. Dogs and even cats have been known to

respond to emergencies on behalf of a human with no

thought of danger to themselves.

Less known to us are the stories of animals helping

one another. The common notion is that animals

only live by fight or flight, eat or be eaten, per-

haps the story Im about to relate would come

under the heading of survival of the

species. But that seems a very cold and

clinical observation. I prefer to see it

as a display of the best virtue a

male of any species can exhibit.

It happened around195455 in t he deep

winter of northern

B.C. Winter in

Canadas north-

land was a

time of heavy

snow and

severe cold.

Temperatures of

40 50 below zero

Fahrenheit, with four to

five feet of snow, wereconsidered normal, even

moderate, and every man, beast,

bird and bug hunkered down and

suffered through it.

We were living in Prince George and

our friend, Howard, was a fireman on the rail

line. Much of northern B.C. at that time was still

wilderness, with mile upon mile of thick forest in

every direction, claiming few towns and fewer roads.

This particular winter, Howards freight train was

making its usual run through the miles of wilderness. It

was night, cold and dark, the sky a brilliant display of

diamond bright stars.

All along the lonely track, banks of snow thrown up

by the rail line snowplow were piled as high as 10 to 12

feet, even more sometimes, and frozen solid. As the

engine labored the long miles, its headlight was brilliant

against the white walls of this endless cavern. Suddenly,

as their light swept round a corner, Howard and his

companions saw ahead of them, running hard, a small

herd of deer. There were several does and one still fully

antlered buck.

The engineer slowed to give them a chance to get out

of the way but as hard as they tried, they simply could not

leap the distance to the top of that wall of frozen snow.

Mile after mile they ran, their breath like smoke on the

frozen air, but they could not keep their lead and t here was

no escape. Eventually, they began to falter.

It was then that the buck put his head under the

haunches of one of the struggling does and with a

mighty heave, boosted her up and over that

terrible wall. They kept running and he kept

catching up to each of them. One by one,

he got his panting, despairing mothers-

to-be out of harms way.

Then he ran no more. With

a last desperate act of courage

and defiance, he turned,lowered his head and

with all his remain-

ing strength,

charged that

massive loco-

motive.

Of course

the buck was

killed but Ive often

wondered what more

the men could have done.

Couldnt they have stoppedthe confounded thing? Surely,

surely, if they had really thought

about it, they could have saved the

beasts. Maybe they might have stopped

and cut a shelter in the side of the snow

where the deer could have hidden until the

train had passed. But how do you talk a herd of

wild deer into using it? Anyway, it didnt happen.

There was a schedule to keep, people and produce

awaiting their arrival. Nobody stopped for creatures in

those days. It wasnt done.

And how did the does make out? Howard never

said whether they all got out on the same side of the

track or not. They probably didnt. Theyd have been

separated and in that deep snow, theyd have been

sure targets for the wolves, unable to defend

themselves without a set of antlers.

Still, God willing, some of them made it to the

next spring to give birth to that valiant stags

offspr ing. Sure ly, a beas t so gallant dese rves to live on

as more than just a memory told in a story some

50 years too late. ca

by: G. Currie-Robertson

8/14/2019 CA03_Dec05Jan06

29/32

it occurs to me

writing poetry

that mammals and birds like to group

bugs, not a few

amphibians tooall mixed in primordial soup

most chicks when they're hatched

stay conveniently batched

in groups that may cause one to laugh

though calves will wander

here, there and yonder

not yet cows, but just heifers in half

we se e flocks of birdsantelope in herds

and baboons congregate in tribes

a pocket of fleas

a swarm of bees

with their own particular vibes

such groupings are cool

like fish in a school

we know there's safety in numbers

like an army of ants

on their way to your pants

or slugs in a patch of cucumbers

a pack of mules

in s tubborn due ls

with cows in green pastures of poo

bawling and braying

as if to be saying

do as I bray, not as they moo

a shiver of sharks

an ascension of larks

geese are a gaggle in groups

goats gather in droves

and hidden in groves

are groups of hairy ape troops

bacteria cultures

a wake of vultures

tigers form an ambush en masse

a rake of mules

(per etiquette rules)more refined than a herd of ass

though coyotes will band

and sound somewhat grand

as they howl and wail at the moon

a lounge of lizards

Rolling Stones in their gizzards

shan't be cutting a record too soon

a nuisance of catsa mischief of rats

each try to outsmart one another

a knot of frogs

a passel of hogs

with faces loved only by mother

these stanzas which rhyme

show sadly that I'm

left unsure what collective noun

best describes row on row

these verses I crow

like a perverse demented clown

this bundle of verses

gets only the worse as

I try to come up with a name

for phrases and lines

and twisted rhymes

describing groups wild and tame

this cluster of wordsjust verses in he rds

I'm unsure what their grouping shou

what hits the right note

for these words that I wrote

ahhhh...a murder of poetr

crocs huddling in floats

laying wait for boats

are many a folks last chance

a rumba of snakes

is all that it takes

with death should theychoose to

dance

we call them bloats

in rivers and moats

when hippopotami

leopards in leaps

give dik dik the creeps

several hiding in wait unseen

prolific they are

prolific they be

bunny groupings go on and on

droves, colonies, traces

suffice in most cases

to label their gangs and throngs

Everycrowd

has asillyrhyming

by Trebor Redleif

convene

oo

o

oo

8/14/2019 CA03_Dec05Jan06

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Whenever I can, I walk by the Bow River here in

Calgary. It is my time. The green embankments

on either side of the river, with the ir bike pat hs

and jogging trails, are a playground for city residents but

are also home to many other creatures. Canada geese,

mallard ducks, beavers and otter s all live her e r ight under

our noses.

If I walk around noon, the sun dazzles my eyes, dancing

off the ripples in the swift moving Bow.

The sound of the water rushing past,

blends with the noise of the traffic on

Memorial Drive flowing on the other

side of the path. The two sounds are

strangely the same. A babble of

human voices streams past me asdowntown workers exercise on their

lunch hour. Across the river, the

sun also reflects back from the tow-

ers of glass windows where these

runners will spend the rest of

their day.

Later in the afternoon, the

Canada geese dominate the

river in numbers and also in

attitude. They seem to have

territorial boundaries whether

we can see them or not. Agaggle of geese might be

floating serenely in the water

when two others will land

amongst them. Suddenly,

ther e is a great honking and

beating of wings and the

offending two will take to

the skies again. Or some-

times it is the incoming

geese that do all the

honking and splashing.

Then the others disperse

in a wide circle and

leave the bullies with a

few square yards of

their own.

However, some

other animals may not

be taken in with

the geeses delusions

of grandeur. Some

beavers have a

lodge at the mouth of a small lagoon on the downtown side

of the river. One evening, I spotted two of them sitting on

a sand spit working on some driftwood when a pair of

geese entered the scene honking and splashing. Their hos-

tility was definitely aimed at the beaver but the rodents

continued stolidly with their work, nonchalantly

proclaiming their territorial rights. This time the geese had

to back off and they drifted away, muttering indignantly.

Along with the territorial disputes, there is a lot of

family life that