Rare Hawaiian Monk Seal - Tunnels Beach, Kawai

Now that I've recovered from the flight home from the beautiful island of Kauai, I've begun the arduous task of editing the hundreds of photos we took there. I also wanted to get back in the swing of blogging after a long absence (thanks to all of you who visited, especially if you checked out the Golden Retriever rescue site). 


Well, I just couldn't resist the M alliterations today...Monday...Mischief...Monk... especially while looking at these adorably snoozing seals. There are only about 900 monk seals left in the world and they are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. We were fortunate enough to see two of them sleeping off their meals during our 10 days on Kauai. Notice the white sign behind the seal pictured above. The seal has been surrounded by these signs warning passersby to keep their distance. (Thank goodness for the zoom feature on our little camera!) Most, but not all, people were happy to comply. A few saw the signs but walked next to the seal anyway. Mischief indeed! Too bad a wildlife officer wasn't around to ticket them. 

The tide is getting his flippers wet!

This seal was so cute when the waves began to reach halfway up his body. He rolled over, pumped on his belly about 6 feet higher up the beach, and went right back to sleep. Except for scratching his nose twice, he didn't move anymore.

Monk seal on Donkey Beach, seen from cliff above.

No warning signs needed on this isolated beach.

Sleeping Beauty. Ted hiked down the cliff and used the zoom to get this shot from about 100 feet.

Some  editing makes it look even a little closer. Wonder if monk seals dream and if so, what about?

Rare Hawaiian Monk Seal - Tunnels Beach, Kawai

Now that I've recovered from the flight home from the beautiful island of Kauai, I've begun the arduous task of editing the hundreds of photos we took there. I also wanted to get back in the swing of blogging after a long absence (thanks to all of you who visited, especially if you checked out the Golden Retriever rescue site). 


Well, I just couldn't resist the M alliterations today...Monday...Mischief...Monk... especially while looking at these adorably snoozing seals. There are only about 900 monk seals left in the world and they are endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. We were fortunate enough to see two of them sleeping off their meals during our 10 days on Kauai. Notice the white sign behind the seal pictured above. The seal has been surrounded by these signs warning passersby to keep their distance. (Thank goodness for the zoom feature on our little camera!) Most, but not all, people were happy to comply. A few saw the signs but walked next to the seal anyway. Mischief indeed! Too bad a wildlife officer wasn't around to ticket them. 

The tide is getting his flippers wet!

This seal was so cute when the waves began to reach halfway up his body. He rolled over, pumped on his belly about 6 feet higher up the beach, and went right back to sleep. Except for scratching his nose twice, he didn't move anymore.

Monk seal on Donkey Beach, seen from cliff above.

No warning signs needed on this isolated beach.

Sleeping Beauty. Ted hiked down the cliff and used the zoom to get this shot from about 100 feet.

Some  editing makes it look even a little closer. Wonder if monk seals dream and if so, what about?

With a little nod to Sugar the Golden Retriever, who is always giving us Golden Alohas:

For July 23, all pet bloggers are highlighting dog rescue as part of our Be the Change commitment. But I will be on vacation in Hawaii! So - this is my July 23 post and it will stay up until the end of the month.

A volunteer with SEVA GRREAT helped us find and adopt Kasey.

The dog rescue group nearest to my heart is Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue (SEVA GRREAT). Both Toby (see previous post "How Toby Joined the Family") and our previous golden mix, Kasey came to us by way of this group. It was kind of an indirect adoption in Kasey's case. At the time, SEVA GRREAT didn't work with mixed breeds at all. Ted and I sent in our application and it turned out that our home evaluator was a coworker of mine. When she saw our paperwork she called me and asked if we had our hearts set on a purebred golden. If not, she knew (because of her volunteer work with the rescue) of a golden mix who needed a home but had been turned down by SEVA GRREAT. She gave us the contact info for the owner and voila, Kasey came into our lives!

The thing I think is most noteworthy about SEVA GRREAT is the expense and effort they put into saving sick, injured, and elderly Goldens. They fundraise tirelessly to pay for the medical expenses for these dogs. Toby and his brothers recovered from parvovirus under their auspices.  They have a special fund, the the Gracie fund, that helps pay for the specialized care and rehab. Gracie was one of the sweet Goldens this organization helped.

Gracie If you are interested in learning more, or seeing the beautiful Golden Retrievers of all ages available for adoption through SEVA GRREAT, please  click here. And thanks!

With a little nod to Sugar the Golden Retriever, who is always giving us Golden Alohas:

For July 23, all pet bloggers are highlighting dog rescue as part of our Be the Change commitment. But I will be on vacation in Hawaii! So - this is my July 23 post and it will stay up until the end of the month.

A volunteer with SEVA GRREAT helped us find and adopt Kasey.

The dog rescue group nearest to my heart is Southeastern Virginia Golden Retriever Rescue (SEVA GRREAT). Both Toby (see previous post "How Toby Joined the Family") and our previous golden mix, Kasey came to us by way of this group. It was kind of an indirect adoption in Kasey's case. At the time, SEVA GRREAT didn't work with mixed breeds at all. Ted and I sent in our application and it turned out that our home evaluator was a coworker of mine. When she saw our paperwork she called me and asked if we had our hearts set on a purebred golden. If not, she knew (because of her volunteer work with the rescue) of a golden mix who needed a home but had been turned down by SEVA GRREAT. She gave us the contact info for the owner and voila, Kasey came into our lives!

The thing I think is most noteworthy about SEVA GRREAT is the expense and effort they put into saving sick, injured, and elderly Goldens. They fundraise tirelessly to pay for the medical expenses for these dogs. Toby and his brothers recovered from parvovirus under their auspices.  They have a special fund, the the Gracie fund, that helps pay for the specialized care and rehab. Gracie was one of the sweet Goldens this organization helped.

Gracie If you are interested in learning more, or seeing the beautiful Golden Retrievers of all ages available for adoption through SEVA GRREAT, please  click here. And thanks!

Why wolves?
Yellowstone National Park, 2007. Driving the main loop road, my husband, 16-year old son and I saw cars pulled to the side of the road. The real clue, though, that something cool was occuring was the large contingent of spotter telescopes and huge-lensed cameras. What could it be? Grizzly bear? Elk? Bison?

Across a conifer and grass swath, over a clear, rocky creek, and midway up a wooded hillside was, so we were told, a little pathway being used by a mother wolf to get to the creek. Boulders hid her den from view, but the spotters were very excited because she had been emerging at about this time for the past several days. We waited eagerly for a glimpse of the wild wolf. We knew that years of effort and gone into bringing these apex predators, a keystone species, back to the wilderness. I was also aware that the YNP biologists were documenting multiple ways that the wolves were restoring the health of the park ecosystem. One example was the return of  native aspens as the wolves began to bring the park's elk population back into balance.

 Then, a wolf emerged, and another, and another. Hushed but frenzied whispers announced that these were the pups, venturing from the den for the first time. With all the endearing clumsiness of puppies they made their way over the rocks to splash and play near the creek. Dozens of people observed in rapt stillness. Only the clicks of camera shutters were audible. Perhaps 10 or 15 minutes went by. Finally the mother guided her pups protectively back up the hillside. We had witnessed something rare and unforgettable and precious.

 Now, after all of conservationists passionate effort to reintroduce them to their native habitat, wolves are again being exterminated as vermin. This is happening in Idaho, Montana, and potentially soon in Wyoming. Here are some facts:

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service has given Idaho permission to bring their wolf population below 200 animals. Idaho will allow every hunter to kill up to 12 wolves during the upcoming hunting season. 
• Montana has killed a third of their wolf population since May. That's 260 wolves!
• If Endangered Species Act protections are indeed removed from wolves in Wyoming this year, the state plans to allow hunting in a trophy game area next to Yellowstone, with the goal of killing 52 wolves. Yellowstone is not fenced, and its wildlife moves into and out of the borders of the park.

Why wolves?
Yellowstone National Park, 2007. Driving the main loop road, my husband, 16-year old son and I saw cars pulled to the side of the road. The real clue, though, that something cool was occuring was the large contingent of spotter telescopes and huge-lensed cameras. What could it be? Grizzly bear? Elk? Bison?

Across a conifer and grass swath, over a clear, rocky creek, and midway up a wooded hillside was, so we were told, a little pathway being used by a mother wolf to get to the creek. Boulders hid her den from view, but the spotters were very excited because she had been emerging at about this time for the past several days. We waited eagerly for a glimpse of the wild wolf. We knew that years of effort and gone into bringing these apex predators, a keystone species, back to the wilderness. I was also aware that the YNP biologists were documenting multiple ways that the wolves were restoring the health of the park ecosystem. One example was the return of  native aspens as the wolves began to bring the park's elk population back into balance.

 Then, a wolf emerged, and another, and another. Hushed but frenzied whispers announced that these were the pups, venturing from the den for the first time. With all the endearing clumsiness of puppies they made their way over the rocks to splash and play near the creek. Dozens of people observed in rapt stillness. Only the clicks of camera shutters were audible. Perhaps 10 or 15 minutes went by. Finally the mother guided her pups protectively back up the hillside. We had witnessed something rare and unforgettable and precious.

 Now, after all of conservationists passionate effort to reintroduce them to their native habitat, wolves are again being exterminated as vermin. This is happening in Idaho, Montana, and potentially soon in Wyoming. Here are some facts:

• The US Fish and Wildlife Service has given Idaho permission to bring their wolf population below 200 animals. Idaho will allow every hunter to kill up to 12 wolves during the upcoming hunting season. 
• Montana has killed a third of their wolf population since May. That's 260 wolves!
• If Endangered Species Act protections are indeed removed from wolves in Wyoming this year, the state plans to allow hunting in a trophy game area next to Yellowstone, with the goal of killing 52 wolves. Yellowstone is not fenced, and its wildlife moves into and out of the borders of the park.

...beside a lake... ...in the snow...

...at the beach...

...beneath the sea...

...in the woods... ...especially with my family... ...I am Seeing Beautiful.

...beside a lake... ...in the snow...

...at the beach...

...beneath the sea...

...in the woods... ...especially with my family... ...I am Seeing Beautiful.

...beside a lake... ...in the snow...

...at the beach...

...beneath the sea...

...in the woods... ...especially with my family... ...I am Seeing Beautiful.

"Sigh. It's raining and Mom is spending a RIDICULOUS amount of time figuring out how to add badges to her blog. Guess I'll take another nap."

Note from Amy: Badges added. Takes 15 seconds once you know how. Took about 150 minutes to learn how to do it.

"Sigh. It's raining and Mom is spending a RIDICULOUS amount of time figuring out how to add badges to her blog. Guess I'll take another nap."

Note from Amy: Badges added. Takes 15 seconds once you know how. Took about 150 minutes to learn how to do it.

Like most of the country, we are sweltering here in Virginia. Toby loves car rides and can't understand why we don't take him to the store with us anymore - but even a few minutes waiting in the car could be deadly. We set a new record high temp. yesterday. 


Toby got his walk early today. We usually walk for a couple of miles. Before we left I finished my coffee while checking on my blog list, and got a great Daily Dog Challenge over at BZ Training. "Take a photo of your dog that makes you happy!" Inspired, I grabbed the point-and-shoot and sneakers while Toby barked and spun in circles with excitement. (btw, how do dogs always know when you're about to take them for a walk?)

"Dont'cha want to try this too?"

Since the earliest puppy days Toby has loved to bite at lawn sprinklers. We don't have ours working but lots of neighbors do, and 6:30 AM is prime time for them to be running. It makes me giggle every time!
So there were LOTS of giggles during the photo ops on our walk today!

"SQUIRREL!!!"

"SQUIRREL???"

A drink and tooth cleaning too!

I just have to smile at this one.

"Wait - there's another sprinkler!"

Like most of the country, we are sweltering here in Virginia. Toby loves car rides and can't understand why we don't take him to the store with us anymore - but even a few minutes waiting in the car could be deadly. We set a new record high temp. yesterday. 


Toby got his walk early today. We usually walk for a couple of miles. Before we left I finished my coffee while checking on my blog list, and got a great Daily Dog Challenge over at BZ Training. "Take a photo of your dog that makes you happy!" Inspired, I grabbed the point-and-shoot and sneakers while Toby barked and spun in circles with excitement. (btw, how do dogs always know when you're about to take them for a walk?)

"Dont'cha want to try this too?"

Since the earliest puppy days Toby has loved to bite at lawn sprinklers. We don't have ours working but lots of neighbors do, and 6:30 AM is prime time for them to be running. It makes me giggle every time!
So there were LOTS of giggles during the photo ops on our walk today!

"SQUIRREL!!!"

"SQUIRREL???"

A drink and tooth cleaning too!

I just have to smile at this one.

"Wait - there's another sprinkler!"

Yesterday Toby and I went to the hospital to interview for volunteering. I thought they would just want to meet Toby while they talked to me. Wrong! Mostly we were auditioning for the therapy dog job. The Volunteer Director, Nancy, was very friendly. We chatted briefly while she looked over the application that I had filled out previously. "Tell me about Toby", she asked, so I did. Staff were popping in and out of the office and to each one Nancy called out, "Would you like to come here and meet Toby?" I had no idea that the folks working at the local hospital were such enthusiastic dog lovers! Toby was a little surprised to be meeting so many strangers. I think he was already a little stressed by all the weird smells and noises, particularly since the hospital entrance was being vigorously powerwashed when we arrived.

 Then Nancy said, "Let's take a walk." So we did - all over the hospital (well not ALL over, it just seemed that way). Did I mention that Nancy's office is next to the cafeteria? Luckily we didn't go there, but Toby's nose was twitching like crazy.

Here's Toby in his TDI bandana with his volunteer badge attached.

 The first stop was the Security Office where even more dog lovers were waiting. Toby jumped up on the chair opposite the camera for a nice Volunteer badge photo. I couldn't help noticing the toy dog attached to the top of the camera.

 Next Nancy asked if Toby had ever been on an elevator. No. "Well let's see what he does then!" Now I was a little stressed. But Toby acted like he'd been on floors that moved unexpectedly his whole life.

Everywhere we went people stopped to pet Toby. Most of the time he seemed focused on sniffing every surface and just the air generally. His olfactory cells must have been exhausted. He seemed less wary of all these friendly strangers as time went on. He seemed especially at home in the Physical Therapy wing. The staff there were excited to meet him and very welcoming.

I was surprised and kind of moved by the nurse who stopped to thank me, saying "You have no idea how important this {therapy dog work} is!"

Well Toby passed his audition because I'm going to orientation on Wednesday. We'll be teamed with another experienced pet therapy handler and begin visiting when we return from Hawaii. Very exciting!

"That was one tiring interview- I had to work hard to be good for that long!"

"But don't worry about me- I got some mischief done the next morning!"

Yesterday Toby and I went to the hospital to interview for volunteering. I thought they would just want to meet Toby while they talked to me. Wrong! Mostly we were auditioning for the therapy dog job. The Volunteer Director, Nancy, was very friendly. We chatted briefly while she looked over the application that I had filled out previously. "Tell me about Toby", she asked, so I did. Staff were popping in and out of the office and to each one Nancy called out, "Would you like to come here and meet Toby?" I had no idea that the folks working at the local hospital were such enthusiastic dog lovers! Toby was a little surprised to be meeting so many strangers. I think he was already a little stressed by all the weird smells and noises, particularly since the hospital entrance was being vigorously powerwashed when we arrived.

 Then Nancy said, "Let's take a walk." So we did - all over the hospital (well not ALL over, it just seemed that way). Did I mention that Nancy's office is next to the cafeteria? Luckily we didn't go there, but Toby's nose was twitching like crazy.

Here's Toby in his TDI bandana with his volunteer badge attached.

 The first stop was the Security Office where even more dog lovers were waiting. Toby jumped up on the chair opposite the camera for a nice Volunteer badge photo. I couldn't help noticing the toy dog attached to the top of the camera.

 Next Nancy asked if Toby had ever been on an elevator. No. "Well let's see what he does then!" Now I was a little stressed. But Toby acted like he'd been on floors that moved unexpectedly his whole life.

Everywhere we went people stopped to pet Toby. Most of the time he seemed focused on sniffing every surface and just the air generally. His olfactory cells must have been exhausted. He seemed less wary of all these friendly strangers as time went on. He seemed especially at home in the Physical Therapy wing. The staff there were excited to meet him and very welcoming.

I was surprised and kind of moved by the nurse who stopped to thank me, saying "You have no idea how important this {therapy dog work} is!"

Well Toby passed his audition because I'm going to orientation on Wednesday. We'll be teamed with another experienced pet therapy handler and begin visiting when we return from Hawaii. Very exciting!

"That was one tiring interview- I had to work hard to be good for that long!"

"But don't worry about me- I got some mischief done the next morning!"