This is an April 2007 post I found in draft form when I converted my blog to WordPress. Enjoy!
Carol Anne
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Saturday was the GTG for the TFTTF Minneapolis gang. We took our cameras and selves over to Como Zoo and the Conservatory. It was a good thing we could be indoors — it was a rainy day. It did give it up just long enough that we could get pictures of the animals that were out and about.
For some reason, everytime I got near an exhibit, the animals would move away. My fellow photographers didn’t move away from me, so I know it wasn’t B.O. Plus I’m a generally pleasant person, especially when the small types aren’t running around me saying “mamamamamamamama”. The animals would stay put for the other photogs.
We decided it was my purple shirt. All the other photogs were in blues or white. There I was in purple. (it was a cute purple shirt, too.) Oh well.
I had to leave early, because of the small types at home, and my fear of them running my sister ragged (be nice to the free babysitter, kids!). It started raining, so I popped up my umbrella, and walked to my car. Which was parked somewhere in outer Siberia.
As I was approaching outer Siberia, I noticed that I was walking by an exhibit — the back side. A small sign indicated it was the wolf area. The big white wolf sitting six feet away from me confirmed it.
I walk as close as I can get, expecting the purple shirt to send the wolf packing. Wolf stayed seated, and looked me in the eye. I greeted the wolf, commented on the weather, and asked what he/she/it was doing sitting out in the rain.
As I had this one way conversation with the wolf, we kept good eye contact. When I looked into the wolf’s eyes, I didn’t see a wild animal, I saw a familiar spirit. The same spirit I see when I look deep into my dogs’ eyes. Dogs are just domesticated wolves, and wolves are just wild dogs.
It was so odd to see something so familiar. The wolf wasn’t nervous around me, and I wasn’t nervous either. It was an odd sort of communion. So I did the obvious.
I asked the wolf if I could take it’s picture.
I’m fumbling with my camera, bag, umbrella (it’s raining — harder), and I’m trying not to make the wolf run away. I just keep talking, getting my gear together, and finally firing off a couple of shots.
The wolf is getting bored with me. But I keep talking, taking more pictures. The wolf decides I’m not too bad, and then poses for a final set of pictures.
We look at each other in the eye. It’s almost like looking at an old friend. Part of me thinks it would be so cool to just sit next to the wolf, and hang out. Watch it watch the world. But our lifestyles won’t allow that. After all, the wolf is a wild animal, even if it lets me yammer on much like my dogs do when we are out on the porch together. But this big white dog is not domesticated like my little black terrors.
I thank the wolf for it’s time and trouble, put away the equipment, and continue my trek to outer Siberia.