Thursday, February 14, 2013

I'll Huff and I'll Puff, and I'll Be Forever Faithful

This amazing photo is from Steve Harris, flickr

Mm mm. Grandma looks delicious! So do those sneaky little pigs. Now if I can just squeeze into this itty bitty lamb skin.

Even though wolves almost never attack humans, from an early age, we are introduced to the wolf as a cunning killer, to be boiled or hacked to pieces at every opportunity.

But did you know that wolves mate for life? The alpha male and female lead a pack and act as the dominant, if not the only breeders in a group of six or ten.

These animals have a stronger sense of commitment and family than a great many humans.

I considered it rather appropriate to model a Saint Valentine's Day post on these remarkable animals. I rather like the idea of a wolf as a protagonist in a story. An intelligent, ruthless survivor; a convenient villian; an eternal romantic.

May your February 14 be free of men with axes, pots of boiling water, and villagers wielding pitchforks.

8 comments:

  1. Wolves are beautiful. There have been efforts to reintroduce them to our area which always causes the ranchers to get alarmed.

    Here's to finding our wolves. ;) Happy Valentine's Day.

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    1. Yeah, I remember the issue up in nth Idaho just before I left there a year ago. The ranchers must love those old fairy tales.

      I'm not a Valentine's Day kind of person, actually, but your well wishes are well received and reciprocated, i.e., have a good one!

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  2. I just saw that movie called “The Gray.” I want no part of those beasts. The wolves eat everyone, they are savage killers that track down their pray with a vengeance. Scary stuff.

    In my work, Gabriel, the team leader sees only three types of people. Sheep, Wolves and Shepherds, I have used the wolf analogy and I do think the wolves get a bad rap. All these poor animals do is eat chickens, chase little girls, and dress like grandmothers. Now that I think about it maybe they are bad. Ha Ha.

    Happy “made up holiday that shames guys into spending money they don’t have, buy flowers that the ladies don’t want, forcing most everyone to love the one they are with instead of being with the one they love, and making those who don’t have a significant other to generally feel like a social reject” Valentine’s Day to all!

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    1. I share your cynicism, but was too lazy to write all that stuff.

      Nice plot twist. Gabriel must meet a wolf or two who lays down his or her life for love. What's the shepherd to do? Oh, the suspense.

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    2. Come now you two- any holiday that involves chocolate can't be ALL bad...

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    3. The chocolate I can handle. It's the 'You've Got the Bieber Fever Valentine!' and the 'Be my Super Samurai Valentine!' that make me cringe. Those writers should be ashamed of themselves. Now, if I can only figure out how to break into that market.

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  3. Don't know what I'd do without my dogs. We grew up with them and the only time (which was a long span) I didn't have dogs was in my early 20's to mid 30's. I traveled too much. But I love them, and it was the first thing I did when I knew I had settled down. ince the wolf is a part of that, I'm more pro-wolf than the average fairy tale reader. I'm sure Grandma was tasty. She didn't go to waste.

    I can understand the ranchers' concerns, but there's no need for them to fear if they take appropriate measures. We can co-exist.

    Happy Valentime's Day. Yes, Valentime's. I actually heard that on the news yesterday...from an adult. I don't think I've heard it since...kindergarten.

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    1. And you a Catholic boy and a scholar of Latin. Poor old Saint Valentine.

      Ah, the dog presence in your life explains why you're such a well-balanced, well-rounded, um... interesting person. I'm hoping they're not small, yappy dogs - I think they're much scarier than wolves - but hey, whatever works.

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