All grown up

As much as I didn't want to leave UNC and Germany, one perk of being back in Cincinnati is that I get to visit Red Wolf Sanctuary. The wolf puppies I helped raise last summer are still puppies, just in much bigger bodies. Sioux and Kiowa got into a fairly serious fight earlier in the year, however, so the trio had to be separated. Kiowa and Croix are in one enclosure, Sioux in another. To prevent Sioux from becoming lonely, Red Wolf Sanctuary obtained three more wolf puppies and plans to put one of the them in with Sioux to keep her company. The other two will occupy a third enclosure. But for the time being, Sioux needs as much social time as can be given, so we were more than happy to go spend some time with her. On the way to see Sioux, Kiowa and Croix came down to the bottom of their enclosure to show off for us a bit. They were being complete goofballs, Kiowa more so than Croix.

Croix (gray) and Sioux (black) playing

Croix (gray) and Sioux (black)

Croix

Croix (gray) and Sioux (black) playing

Photo by Ginny LT, not me 

Croix

Croix (gray) and Sioux (black)

Kiowa

Sioux

Sioux and I

Sioux

Sioux holding my hand (/arm)

Of course, we couldn't leave without saying hello to the wolf puppies:

The puppies eat approximately EVERY 2 SECONDS

Still has his puppy blue eyes

Couldn't figure out how to get un-stuck

Female pup

We didn't just see wolves while we were there. We visited Akima, who kept vacillating between really wanting to see us and wanting to hide. Rosie wouldn't come out to see me today, so Akima was the star fox of the day:

Last, but certainly not least, two new Irish Wolfhound pups have been added to the crew at Red Wolf Sanctuary. Their names are Paddington (Paddy) and Guinness. Paddy is a boy, and at 8 months old he is already larger than the adult wolves at the sanctuary. Actually, Paddy would probably make a good miniature horse. Guinness, the female, looks small compared to her brother but is probably just as large as the yearling wolves. But both are very friendly and don't realize that they are not lap dogs.

Paddy!

Summer's on my mind

I have been quite busy with school work lately, and the weather has been quite busy precipitating. The combined effect is one where I feel a little bit overworked and very underpaid (oh wait...). Of course, one of my havens from stress is my family's place in the Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, and when I feel like procrastinating I tend to go through my (proliferous) collection of photos taken while there. Here is one I particularly like:

Of course, the featured canine is my dog Guinness. In this particular photo he is looking back to make sure I am keeping up with him on our hike. I can be quite a slow human what with my camera and only having two legs. But he does look rather happy with his tongue all lolling out. What I especially like about this photo (besides the fact that Guinness is in it) is how the background somehow turned out looking kind of hazy or dream-like. Just like summer memories.

Anyways, I know this blog was kind of random but I haven't updated in a while and so I thought I should say something. One of these days I'll come up with some other subject besides my dog, but I mean, probably not. Because he is just so darn photogenic.

Holiday Update

I figured I'd try to squeeze in one last blog entry before the new year begins. I started this blog a little less than a year ago, before I went to Africa and before I even knew I was going to be a UNC Tarheel. A lot has changed for the better, but luckily some things have remained the same. Guinness is still a ham, ready to pose for photos:

I successfully pulled off yet another Christmas Cookie decorating party with my crazy Ursuline Academy sisters:

I am still a nerd obsessed with nerdy things:

Christmas vacation was wonderful because:
1. I went ice-skating downtown with some of my favorite Red Wolf Sanctuary volunteers.
2. I discovered that I had BBC America and could watch the Christmas special on BBC America on Christmas! I drew lots of pictures. I liked it, and I especially like Clara. She is more than a match for the Doctor's eccentric wit. I just hope that their relationship stays flirty and does not progress into actual romance. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you should probably go watch some Doctor Who. At any rate, here is my rendering of the awkward Doctor kiss:

3. A TARDIS appeared on my Christmas tree
4. Home-cooked meals

There are some things that I know the New Year will bring, including:
1. My first half-marathon in the Spring
2. Chemistry 102
3. Working in a medical lab at University of Cincinnati over the summer
4. Return to Red Wolf Sanctuary in the summer
5. Return of AMC's The Walking Dead, BBC's Doctor Who, BBC's Downton Abbey

I haven't really thought of a resolution yet. I mean, I want to finish the half-marathon, so that means I should train. But my other resolution, I think, is to keep trying to try new things and meet new people. I KNOW...so vague. So I'll try to be more specific...I want to try to revive a sci-fi/fantasy club that has been absent from UNC since the 80s. It's called Chimera. So that is my New Year's resolution: get this club up and running, or give it my best shot. Find my fellow nerds and have fun. So there you have it.

But the best part is that, for the most part, I don't know what the new year will bring. So, in the words of the 11th Doctor, "Geronimo!"

Carolina Tiger Rescue

So today I was able to go out and volunteer at the Carolina Tiger Rescue (http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/). A group of about 8 girls (including myself) from the UNC Tri-Beta Society trekked out there and I was so happy! I've been there once before, but for a public tour and I was too lazy to write about it. However, the pictures I will be posting today will be from that tour and not from today's volunteering because I did not bring my camera with me today. Turns out that was a good idea because most of the day was spend bushwhacking and trail blazing. In fact, today vaguely reminded me of clearing out the brush in South Africa at the Dell Cheetah Centre, except everything was much more green and not all of the plants were quite so prickly (although I did manage to sit on some sort of prickly rose-like plant that went right through my trousers). My subconscious must have been pretty darn excited as well, because last night I had a dream that I was back at the Dell Cheetah Centre. Strange.
Anyways, after about 3 hours of clipping away underbrush and sawing down smallish trees, the volunteers were given a tour of the facilites. CTR is home to lions, tigers, servals (YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT SERVALS - SO MUCH LOVE!!), kinkajous, binturongs, ocelots, pumas, bobcats, and pumas. They are strictly a rescue, so there is no breeding or anything going on. Most of the animals they have come from homes where people did not know what they were getting themselves into - they adopted that cute little tiger cub without thinking about the 400-lb predator it would become. It's a very well-run facility and the people there are very passionate about the animals. I was impressed. But it made me want to go back and visit Tigger and Nala and Jemima at the Dell Cheetah Centre....

ELVIS THE SERVAL!! 

My...what large teeth you have

There you have it. I have managed to find big cats even near UNC-CH. I have submitted an application to volunteer there, so hopefully this will not be a one-time affair.

Also, Guinness says hello!

Since I ran out of wild animals...

...I'm just going to start posting about my dog. I realize that this is bordering on the pathetic, but a) I miss blogging every week b) I am miss frolicking with wild animals c) I am obsessed with my dog. So, I guess this is how it's going to be. I'm pretty sure you all know Guinness. And if you don't, well, here he is:

This week's theme was Doctor Who. Trust him, he's the Dogtor. If anyone follows me on FB or tumblr, then you've already seen this photo and the joke is old by now. But if you haven't, then revel in it please!
Now, this is Maverick:

He is not my dog, he is the family dog back home. However, over Thanksgiving break he came to the Lakehouse (Guinness did too) along with the rest of my immediate family. During the summer, this dog loves to dock jump. I mean, he is obsessed with three things in life: 1) water 2) his tennis ball 3)water. However, the lake has been lowered significantly due repairs that need to be completed on the dam. This means that our dock is at a 45-50º angle down a rocky mountainside. It isn't even touching water right now. Does this mean Maverick will be intimidated? Not at all! The first morning of vacation, he boldly went where no (intelligent) dog has gone before, sliding all the way down the dock, careening into the metal latter at the end, and flipping into the shallow water at the bottom. He cracked a few ribs but it didn't seem to slow him down at all until he realized that he could get on the couch if he acted pathetic enough. So he started to whine and moan and groan, and of course the boys let him up on the couch so he could nurse his hurt ribs. Thus the large German Shepherd napping on the flowery basement sofa! 

Anyways, I had a great Thanksgiving and I hope everyone else did as well!