time to kill...

 ended up at the dog park yesterday.  no takers to join me and it seemed to be the only place the sun was shining.  the dogs love it there.  above is the larch...evergreens that are deciduous. always cool to watch these trees turn yellow and the needles to fall off, then in the spring to see fresh needles come out.

 this little bat eared guy was very interested in the pups and the tennis ball.  she was actually kind of getting mean and pushy, but she's small and small dogs can get away with stuff. 

 like if you are bit by a dog, someone will ask, what type of dog was it?  if if was like a Pomeranian or a shitzu...well you will get an oh and a bit of an eye roll.  if you answer shepherd of pit bull, ears will perk up and you would get sympathy.  size matters when it comes to dogs.

 this lady was sitting with her 14 year old lab very close to the entrance.  the dog couldn't walk far anymore and they were headed to the vets after this.  I've been there with old pups.  it was just sweet...i hope the best for her and her beloved friend

 it's not just moose babies being born all over town.  these little ducklings were spotted at University Lake yesterday as well.  so adorable.

 the parent ducks have their work cut out for them.  the little family was spotted by these cute pups who came in closer to take a look.

 no ducklings were harmed though.

 i think they just wanted a peek.

 my pups must not have seen them, they didn't investigate.

 this beaver was also out working on his home.  beavers are busy....they have a great work ethic

 pups had a great time out there.  we enjoyed the one sunny spot.  the sun did return later across my end of town and i sat outside on the swing. 

 it's never as relaxing as you would think though.  as long as i am outside the dogs believe i should be tossing a ball for them.  i remember hiking to beach in Ketchikan all the time, foolishly carrying a book to read.  Baby Huey brought me stick after stick.  not much reading was done on those beaches.

 puppy sightings at the park. 

 more of the larch

 we kept away from the beaver...beavers are busy but when their work is interrupted they can be mean...several reports of beaver attacks on dogs over the years.

 pretty here, rain elsewhere. today seems nicer though. 

 after our walk, we headed to the conservation center.  weather still not great, but better than it had been the day before's attempt.

 they had just fed the bears when i got there so i saw all the bears.

 there were tons of eagles spotted coming and going and several here to enjoy feeding time.

 the ravens also came around to steal their bit.

 the hooligan are running in the arm so there are so many baldies out there. on the way back i got lousy photo's but i lost count on the number of eagles out there....I'd guess over 75 all  bunched together.  there was another huge cluster about the same size so if you want to see eagles, hit the low tides on the arm this week near the hooligan crowds.

 liked how this gal was resting on the wood

 this other gal was nibbling on some fruit and veggies.

 check out those huge claws.

 what a face!

 then a bit of a spat broke out.  not great photo's but it happened a few feet away.  this is a position i never want to be in.  a huge bear towering over me.

 no blood, despite a few bites.  it was mostly a show of power, dominance.

 point made

 you can see all the brown bears that live there.

 the elk are losing their winter coats, look pretty scruffy.

 their antlers look like they were just super glued on.

 hello!

 the three elksteteers.

 fighting a wee headache today...just as the cold bug is releasing it's hold, the headaches return.  i do have a massage scheduled for today.  that will be super relaxing.  should banish the headache as well, which is an added bonus.

 there are three baby wood bison.  they were pretty far away

 this big one walked over towards me.  i give them a lot of room, they have been known to charge that fence. 

 so cute!

 we pulled up next to the wolves.  Ivy and a wolf caught each others eye, next thing i knew all the wolves rushed towards the car to check out the dogs...much to the delight of the tourists.  the dogs window was open like 3 inches...eventually a worker came over to chastise me for having the window down a bit on the dog side. no harm came of it and i happen to know that when the wolves were first brought in, they must have been young and the crew out there had a regular dog share the space with them...it may have been one of the workers dogs. 

 fun to watch the dogs and the wolves check each other out.

 very distant relatives...but still relatives.  still recall watching this documentary of about dogs.  in it they were showing how dogs have evolved a dependence on humans.  they put a large steak inside a cage in a room.  first they released a wolf into the room. the wolf kept working hard to figure out how to get to the steak.  after they took the wolf out they send a domestic dog into the same room/situation. the dog checked it out for a second, realized it may need some assistance and then immediately turned to the human for assistance. my dogs have always done this as well.  if a tennis ball goes under furniture, they attempt to retrieve it briefly, but soon, they stop and just look to me to fix their problem.

 there is also one baby caribou.

 they were a little ways off as well.

 still cute to check it out.

 better get my day started. 

 enjoy yours

grateful for A.  babies, all kinds.  always bring you hope and a smile  B.  cold symptoms going away. C. a massage to look forward to.