My Power Animal

I waited in the sub-enclosure as Jason unhooked the latch. Luna growled angrily from the other side of the fence, jealous of her neighbours. Gia retaliated with equal amounts of snarling, and forced open the gate. Oscar, the largest wolf-dog on site, bounded towards me before diverting to Jason. I dashed toward Gia and opened the metal choke collar. It slid easily over her ears and neck. I put my hand through the loop of the leash and held on tight. Angel radioed out, letting the others know me and Jason were going on a walk, and let us out of the pen. Gia tugged me along the path. She knew exactly where she was going. The other wolves barked and pushed against their fences, desperately wishing they could come too. Angel opened the perimeter gate and we walked into the outside world. We dashed across open fields of long grass, letting the wolf-dogs sniff and scent roll at will. This was their chance to embrace the wild animal within. It was important to be aware of our environment, just in case a camper or tour guest wanted to come over and say high, without realising the dangers of interacting with our wolves. Oscar and Gia soon became tired so we took them back home. Once back in their enclosure, they lapped up their water, worn out after exercise.

This was my first walk with the wolves. I've since had my second walk, and am now fully trained to take them out, as long as I go with Jason or a staff member. It was an amazing experience. I felt a sense of freedom as I walked across the plains with a powerful animal at my side. It didn't last long, but I'm hoping to go out again in my spare time, and soon it will become a part of morning chores. My second walk was with Oscar, and he's a big animal, probably 170lbs. I was definitely the one being walked! My time with the other animals has been fantastic. Romeo was comfortable enough to lie down and snooze whilst I was in the enclosure, and Juno has been sniffing and licking my hand lots. My tours have been good too. Today, I was called to show a lady around the compound so she could decide on an animal to sponsor. I recognised her immediately from my tour! I was happy to see someone else devoted to the wolves. I also got 5 dollars as a tip for my help. My other tours this week have seen me get about 10 dollars a time too. I never realised I'd have a chance to earn whilst out here! It's coming in handy for such things as pizza and soda.

My other projects have been going very well. Leyton's had a look at my first version of the title sequence for his new show, Reservation Dogs. As I suspected, he was very critical, wanting it longer and different music etc. But I did receive a compliment. He likes what I'm doing and looks forward to seeing the finished result. Good enough for me!! I've saved a copy and will be able to put the different version into my portfolio. Finally, I've made something post University!

Life in the high desert has never been better. The sanctuary's closed tomorrow and a bunch of us our going to a near by cafe, which is apparently quite popular with the Candy Kitchen gay community, then we shall return to take photos of our animals and play some board games! After this, a new week will commence...

Cowboys in Albuquerque

How about here. No. This one. No. I realised that trying to find a vegan restaurant in downtown Alburquerque is quite a mission. Finally, we drove past a Chinese, they always have vegan alternatives. Katie parked. We wandered down, happy we'd found somewhere to eat. It looked rather busy. It was fully booked. Our tummies rumbled in protest as we continued to wander down the street. Katie suggested we ask for directions in Starbucks. Sceptical, we wandered in. She ordered a coffee, and asked politely. The guy behind the counter picked up a phone and walked out back. He returned, having called ahead to a pizza parlour across the street to check if they offer vegan food. Oh Starbucks, the fountain of knowledge.

We returned to the hotel, pizza in tow, and grabbed a beer from the overstocked fridge. We partied hard, playing 'I Have Never' and 'Kings'. Our next mission was to find a bar that wouldn't card. The legal age to drink in America is 21. Jason was only 20. We debated whilst he grumbled nervously, "I'll just walk back if I don't get in. It'll be fine." A sure translation for, "I really hope I get in!" We cruised along Central, past the pizza parlour, and on to O'niels bar. We wandered in. Sat down, and held our breath as Jason was carded...

I awoke the next morning. Hungover. Reminiscing over memories of a good night out. Jason got in, and although he could only drink coke all night, we had had fun. We stocked up on sugary pastries and cereal before heading out. The wide streets of Albuquerque offered many interesting sights. People in strange clothing and blinging retro cars. An amazing shop appeared before us. The Man's Hat Shop. I had to go in. Thousands of cowboy hats in various shapes and sizes lined the shelves. The store owner helped me pick out a hat, which was only $175! I felt unsure on which to buy, so waited for a superior opinion from Katie, a Texan. I whittled it down to two choices, and was sold by the warm ear flaps of the brown hat. I shook the store owners hand as he called out, "The next time you fellas are in town, make sure you come down and say hi." As I wandered down the street, admiring my new shadow, I felt like the real deal. I was now a cowboy.

Our trip to Albuquerque was a success! It was a two and a half hour drive after work to go for a night out, but what an experience it was. I was amazed at the multitude of real ale on offer at the bar, but decided that this trip was about being authentic, and sipped Sierra Nevada all night. Being in a hotel with friends is amazing fun! We got through lots of beer and had many interesting conversations. But the best bit by far, was hat shopping. I'm so happy to have a real cowboy hat, not just a souvenir. I even bought a cowboy shirt form Target to complete the look. It was tiring though. When we finally got back, I was too tired to drink tea, which for an Englishman, is quite a crime!

Gaining the perspective of the city has helped me to enjoy being at the sanctuary even more so. As much as I enjoyed the multitude of shops and places to eat, I was glad to be back to my humble home. Here, the simple pleasures of life are made so much better. Being warm is a privilege. Reaching the outhouse is a privilege. Eating with friends is a privilege. Saying hi to my animals is also great fun! I am now trained on Oscar and Gia, meaning I can go in any time. Me and Jason are scheduled to learn how to take them for walks tomorrow. I can't wait to leash a wolf and go for a wander!!

Reservation Dogs - My introduction to reality TV

Leyton discussed the style for his new show over two plates of bacon and eggs. I nodded intently, taking mental notes, imaging the episode unfold in my mind. The footage was in the can, and I needed to make something of it. I felt like a real filmmaker. As Leyton sipped his coffee, my thoughts drifted to hopes of making a gripping episode. This was my chance to show what I could do, develop my portfolio and gain respect in the filmmaking world. This was my introduction to reality TV...

...Barking. Dogs stacked on top of each other in several cages. This was the sight at the reservation dog rescue 10 minutes outside of the sanctuary. Leyton was on a mission to take six rescue dogs to the vet to be neutered. I frantically chased him around, re-framing the camera each time he tried to leash a dog or a new fence or beam of light threatened the quality of my shots. It was hard work, a totally different type of filmmaking, with several new stories emerging as we shot. To Leyton's surprise, the dogs weren't social, and one in particular growled all the way to Gallup. Leyton also made a discovery. One of the dogs was one he had previously lost, and we decided that this would make a great B-story for the show. We trekked an hour and a half there and back, and took lots of great footage. We even went the following day to pick up the dogs and took some head shots for narration. It was amazing fun. I was so lucky to do something film related. If I can get it all edited nicely, I'll have a 40 min episode of a TV show to add to my portfolio.

I've actually had a stint in the editing room. I'm using Adobe Premiere 3.0, so not the most advanced system, but I actually know how to use it which is a good thing! Leyton used a bizarre way of capturing. Everything was lumped into one file so I spent my entire time cutting and exporting clips! I've got a lot of work to do to make it interesting, but I'm most excited about making the 20 second show introduction!

As for my animals, I've had a breakthrough! Romeo let my stroke him! I held my hand out flat and allowed him to have a good sniff. He seemed relaxed so I pushed my luck and started wiggling my fingers to stroke him. He stayed still, so I stroked some more, and soon had my hand on the back of his neck, having a good old cuddle. Red foxes are surprisingly soft to the touch. This was a one in a life time experience that I would hopefully experience again.

A town in the sand

We were cruising down the desert highway. I gazed out of the window and saw scattered trees reaching into the distant sand. Angie abruptly turned into a car park, forcing Katie to brake hard, and out of the desolate wilderness appeared the local town. A gas station on our left. A short row of concrete buildings on the right. This was Pinehill. We clambered out of the car, the full moon, large and opaque, looming above us in the twilight. We entered the Laundrette. It was empty and several machines wore an 'out of order' sign. I loaded seven quarters in the slot and, thankfully, watched as the barrel started to turn. I left to explore the Market, passing a family of locals who had turned up to do their weekly run. In the store, several brands of American delights called out to me as I perused the isles. I exited, and saw a Navajo Indian emblem on the wall, reminding me we were still on the reservation. As I experienced the full on sugar rush from my banana moon pie, yogurt covered pretzels and Mountain Due, I thought about life on the reservation. How we were so isolated from the rest of the world. This was the biggest town for miles. It felt refreshing, yet scary, and strangely humble.

I've now been at the sanctuary for two weeks and I've learnt so much. I know all the animals by name, their medications and daily protocol. I haven't learnt this much in such a short time in my life!  I've learnt a lot about myself too. I've coped without electricity (in the Dome at least) and become experienced with fire making. My fires continue into the night and I've had to start shedding blankets to cool down! It's been fun hanging out in the wolf kitchen, playing games, baking cakes. I thought I'd be bored in my free time and spend nights reading by the fire, but I've barely read a page! The big trip to Albuquerque is going ahead. We're going to drink and be merry, hopefully in the area around Central, this Sunday night. I can't wait.

Building up a relationship with my animals has been truly amazing. On my first solo visit to clean the Nola pack's enclosure, I was ignored by Saint, the Alpha who welcomed be last time. Instead, it was Katrina who was fascinated with me. She raced right up to me and licked my face all over! Saint continued to lie down, comfortable with my presence. Eventually he lumbered over, Azteka behind him, and both licked my face to say hello! On my third visit, Saint and Azteka came up as before, but Juno, the very shy black wolf, pranced just behind them, clearly wanting to say hello but unsure if he should brush past the more dominant members. Hopefully, he'll be coming up to me soon, which will be a very big achievement in his socialisation. The pack are very much like dogs. I can even throw sticks to them and they run around the enclosure, happy as can be. Goldie's relationship to the pack, as the Omega, represents their wolf side. I went into the enclosure to hand feed them red meat loaves. Once everyone had one, Juno ran back and forth between his loaf and Goldie's, preventing her from getting one! It would appear that the Omega eats last.

Romeo is a very different animal. He's just so cute! I've given him a glove complex, as he can't stop biting my hand to remove my glove! He's a lot more timid, but I have had him climb into my lap to try and sniff my face. The slightest movement and he darts off, so I have to sit very still and let him investigate me. I don't think he will ever be as social towards me as Nola pack, he's still too wild in his mentality, but I hope to get him calm enough so that I can have a good cuddle!

The animals aren't all cute. In fact, after Wednesday's incident, I've learnt to remain vigilant. I was at the far end of Nola packs enclosure, cleaning up their muck. They're very clean animals, and elected this part of the enclosure to be their toilet. George spoke on the radio, "Why are people running?" On Tuesdays meeting, we were specifically told not to run unless there is an emergency, as if people see you running, instantly, they figure something has gone wrong. I wondered if someone had forgotten and hoped they didn't get in too much trouble. It was then that the wolves started to howl. But it wasn't their usual howl. This was eerie. Short, erratic bursts came from 20 plus enclosures. Nola pack started pacing and whining. I knelt down next to Saint and tried to see if he was ok, but he seemed focused on something in the distance. I thought nothing of it, and wandered down to wolf kitchen, when I heard the news. Angel had been attacked. I'd been too far away to hear her scream. Alison had heard her and ran. Robin saw her running, and followed suit. Later, I found out that Thunder and Alice had been fighting, and Angel got caught in the middle. Thunder bit her hand then went for her leg. Angel was fine, but it's a reminder of the strength of these creatures. Thunder didn't mean to harm Angel, but as mating season draws near, the animals are testing each other and becoming more aggressive with each other. This is another reason why humans and wolves don't mix. When attacks happen, the wolf is blamed, but this is only nature. The wolf doesn't mean to harm us, but when 1500 lbs per square inch of draw pressure decides to fight another, we don't stand a chance.

The Fox and Five Hounds

My hands were trembling as I fumbled the lock. I knew these were only wolf dogs, but a step up from Romeo the red fox. Romeo was cute and cuddly, known for his fussy food habits and sleeping underground, but these guys looked mean. Saint bounded up to Angel, who was already in the pen, leading a rally of excitement toward the rocks on which she sat. I pushed in the gate, keeping my body towards the wolves so as not to give an opportunity for mischievousness, and headed for the rocks. I thought they were going to ignore me, but then I was noticed. Saint and Azteka ran around my legs. Started licking my boots as I sat. Five wolf dogs were running around me, heightening my senses with excitement. I extended my hand and cuddled underneath Saints chin. I felt the damp bristles of his fur as he pulled away, unsure at the interaction of a new comer. I relaxed as Angel talked me through their habits. They're into different toys. Afraid of big gloves and may steal items I leave laying around. Angel exited the gate, leaving me inside. I followed her lead, forgetting about my back. Two beady eyes pressed into my soul. I turned, realising my mistake. I was being stalked by Azteka. She was looking for an opportunity and I'd given her one. I felt as if she could have done anything and I would of been helpless. Luckily, she was a low content wolf dog, and at worst would of jumped up at me. As the weeks progress with my training, with the arctic and timber wolves, I'd better not make the same mistake twice...

My welcome to the pack

I've met my first pack of wolves! The Nola pack, five low content wolf dogs. Don't be fooled, these guys are big! Cuddly though. I went in for my second visit today and Saint, the Alpha male, licked my face all over. This is a sign that he trusts me, which is amazing to of happened already, especially as a week ago he barked every time me and the other new volunteers walked past. It was quite a nerve racking experience as there's so many of them. They are really fascinating though, mainly as they act like a wild pack. Saint always stands at the front, Azteka just behind, then Katrina, Juno and Goldie. Goldie is the omega, the peacemaker, which means she gets picked on all the time as a way to calm fights within the pack. She's very shy and won't come up to me at the moment, but Swedish Robin, their present caretaker, had one stroke in his time here so hopefully I will too.

Romeo the Red Fox

The Nola pack are mine to care for as well as Romeo the red fox. He is amazingly cute yet very naughty! I had taken my gloves off to open his enclosure and held them loosely in my hand. An open invitation! He stole the glove and danced off with it, attempting to rip it to shreds! I was lucky to get it back. Now that these guys are my animals I will be in charge of cleaning out their enclosures everyday, except on my days off, Mondays and Thursdays. Socialising, playing with the animals and seeing if I can get them to trust me enough to cuddle me, topping up their water and feeding them. The Nola pack sound amazing to feed. They like to be hand fed chicken parts whilst I'm in the enclosure. This is rare to happen as usually the wolves get over excited and viscous during feeding time. It's such an amazing experience and I'll get to do a lot more. I've been in with Jason's animals, Oscar and Gia, who gave me a similarly warm welcome, and I'll get to help him take these guys for walks. It's going to be amazing, especially as Oscar is the biggest animal on site! I can go in with my animals anytime I like and play with them. I went in with Swedish Robin after hours and watched him play. He dived onto the floor and allowed them to climb all over him. That will be me in a few months time.

Close up with Gia

As of Tuesday, I will be giving tours, which means I have to revise the family trees and wolf facts. I've had a stint in the gift shop and had to interact with customers already, so I'm not worried about that, but hope I learn enough to make an interesting tour. Mainly as the tour guides often get tips! Today, Swedish Robin made 25 dollars for one tour (seeing as the tour costs $7 that's quite impressive).

I'm very settled here and so glad I came. I've been making vegan food with Swedish Robin, such as vegan sausage and pizza, and we've all decided to go to Albuquerque next Sunday and stay the night so we can go out for drinks. I so can't wait to hit the town!! However, I'm so glad that I'm not working tomorrow. I've been up at 6am for a week and a half and on my day off had to get up for rounds and had a long road trip. It will be nice to wake up late, shower, and hang out in the kitchen. We're set to bake and play Munchkin and Risk! Finally, I can rest.

Rounds Test

I had gotten half way round the compound. Allison was close behind, watching every move. I'd remembered all of the animals names so far. Their medications and uses and any observations I'd noticed. Up ahead, lay powder pack. One of the hardest packs to tell apart. Dakota, easy enough, the only timber wolf in the pack. The other three were Arctic wolves. The only way to tell them apart, one's the biggest, ones the smallest, and ones cross eyed. Hard enough, but they also happen to be shy. I could only see Dakota as I approached, and remembered his medication. A Beno in the morning, not in the afternoon, to help with his gas. I saw one of the Arctic wolves. I had no idea who it was! The other came out of hiding and I tired to judge it's size against the other. I guessed Powder. Score one! I trembled as I went to guess the last two. If I got this right, I could start my wolf training, get to socialise the wolves (meaning potential for cuddles) and possibly even start taking them for walks. Get it wrong, and have to keep getting up at 6am to follow rounds, and I needed a lie in! I chanced it and guessed. Is that... Sabine?

I passed! I got their names right and made it round the compound without making a mistake! I did almost forgot to lock the wolf kitchen door, which would of been a fail, but remembered just in time. Now I can start my full animal training and start going into the enclosures. I'll get to socialise the animals, meaning petting and cuddling them, trying to make them trust me and building up a relationship with them. If this goes well, I'll be able to put my wolf on a leash and take them for walks!!

It's not all been success. The other day I went to feed the dogs and had a disastrous experience! I was in the sub enclosure, and had to feed Peanut, Jelly and the puppies. I had one bowl of food for the puppies and needed to get Peanut out of the way. I tried to coax him into the sub enclosure but only Jelly came out. I gave in and put a bowl down. Went into the pen, put down the puppy food. Where's Peanuts food? Ah! I'd forgotten to take it in and had to wrestle Peanut away from the puppies! This wasn't the worst. I went back later to flip the pitballs water (as it was frozen), then noticed one of them nose open the lock!! I was meant to secure it but forgot and had to dash to the sub enclosure to secure the outer door or loose them! I managed it, but had to wrestle two stubborn pitballs back into their enclosure. No mean feat. I was pulled along, making an idiot of myself, but finally got them secure.

I'm starting to realise just how varied my tasks are going to be and how many skills I'm going to come out with. I spotted Robin on the chainsaw yesterday and will most likely receive my training soon! I got to drive around the the Ford quite a lot too. It's so much fun. It slips and slides over the slick mud, like going proper off roading! Layton has asked me to edit some footage of an animal capture together. This is so exciting as I'll be able to build my portfolio whilst learning about these animals. I'm going to have quite the CV when I'm done!

I simply can't wait to go in with the wolves. I've told Angie that my favourites are Nola pack and Sassy and Lakota, so fingers crossed I get them! I've been on my first solo morning rounds and have to do guard duty on my own this evening. It's starting to get so exciting. Layton has even got me a guitar and I have to give his daughter a lesson next week! Also, I may have to give my first tour tomorrow. It's really stepping up now. This is going to be amazing.

A taste of real America

We'd been cruising for an hour and a quarter and only just discovered civilisation. Native Americans wandered past stone buildings with mosaics painted down the sides. Wide open roads latticed the city of Gallup. We we're in need of doing laundry but had no idea where to go. At one point we had to turn around, then wait at the railroad crossing for a giant transport train to charge by. Cruising onto route 66, we found 'The Laundry Basket' but didn't stop. There was something much more important on our agenda. Food. We pulled into a 50's style Dinner. I ordered a burger. Got my Pepsi refilled. Left a tip. Later, we would go to Walmart. It was a taste of real America.

I've had my first trip into a neighbouring city, and what an experience it's been. We passed through several small towns, including those on the Navajo reservation. They're so tiny and some have very basic wooden buildings. The scary part was how long it took to get anywhere! There's a whole of desert between Candy Kitchen and civilisation. I really am out in the sticks. What I most loved was cruising on route 66. American roads were made for cruising. Slow speed limits. Nice and open. Fantastic. Walmart was an experience too. It trumps any UK supermarket! I've now stocked up on all the essentials. Lucky charms and Mountain Dew!


Crusing on the ATV

As I head into my second week the potential for responsibility increases. I took my written test, and failed by two questions, but went over it and today I passed!! Now I can take my rounds test, then be trained on the animals! I've been left to my own devices a lot more now and yesterday I even had a radio attached to my jeans. I felt very official! Had my first experience on an ATV too. I perched on the side as Robin tore around the compound, then I jumped off to toss red meat loaves into the wolves enclosures. It was awesome!

Last night I took a new stance on cookery. It doesn't seem all that important in the grand scheme of things, but out here you need a different ethos, maybe not to survive, but to use the land efficiently. We got our food delivery and had way too much stuff (which actually does make me rather happy to see). I'd thought about what I wanted to cook and had designated food items for those exact recipes. After talking to Robin, who'd much rather throw something together with minimal thought, I realised that if I just tap into my creativity, I can use what I already have to make something tasty. So I threw together my salvaged steak from the wolf kitchen with some rice and peas and made a pepper sauce using water, pepper and flour to thicken. It was lush, didn't need lots of 'stuff' and would of saved on money and excessive food. My new ethos: Realising that you've already got what you need to survive, not actively thinking or worrying about what you need to do, and tapping into your creativity to do it. I believe that this ethos can also help with many other aspects of life, and for me, especially with my writing.

Introducing Wolf Daddy

The night sky was full of a thousand stars. It was pitch black and the beam from my wind up torch was starting to fade. I passed the abandoned trailer, ready to turn in for the night. Branches crackled ahead. A chill ran down my spine. Could the Coyote have returned? How far is it to my yard? Do Coyotes attack humans? These questions poured through my mind as I raced through the exposed wilderness. My heart thumped in my chest. I could swear eyes were following me. I raced through the gate. Locked it. Raced through my door. Now, this is the point where most of us would laugh at our stupidity, “There was nothing out there!” High pitched huffing screamed through the night. The wolves howled in response. The Coyote had returned. It had been watching me. I wondered, how close did it get…

Having a wild Coyote prowl outside my home was another one of the unexpected parts of the trip. The other night, I heard the alien howl just after I’d gotten up to use the facilities. I stepped outside and saw a Coyote about 20 meters away, near the outhouse. I’m now at the end of a very long week, although tomorrow I still have to be up for 8am rounds! I finally feel settled and am staring to get a lot more responsibility. Today we we’re left in charge to feed the dogs and loaf raw meat to make wolf food. Tuesday is test day, and if I pass I’ll be able to move on to rounds testing, and then I’ll begin animal training. This means I’ll finally get to go inside one of the habitats and start interacting with an assigned animal! Eventually I’ll be able to take my wolf or wolf dog on walks.


Nikki and Maki - No putting fingers through or you'll loose them!



This trip is full of surprises!

Another unexpected part of the trip came when Layton asked me and Katie to help him feed the dogs. “You’re the one who went to film school, right?” My ears pricked up at the opportunity. Layton is in the process of expanding the Wild Spirit name to help get more funding to better care for the wolves. He’s mostly doing this through YouTube videos. One of his various projects is very similar in nature to The Dog Whisperer, called Wolf Daddy (and in fact, he’s had a few meetings with Caser). I filmed the feeding. Layton was sat by the fence with several dogs around him. I tried best to capture his interview and close ups on the dogs. If I pass this test I’ll be able to do more filming and possibly some editing. An amazing opportunity to help on an up and coming project with potential (Layton is presently attempting to get a series on Animal Planet).


Tomorrow we’re going into Grants to check out the WalMart and see what else is around. It’s amazing to think that the first biggish town is at least an hour away! I look forward to having a bit of time to myself, just to adjust to the new environment and take it all in. Hopefully I’ll pass my various tests in the week and get onto some more serious animal interaction soon.

Living in the wild

I clicked the lighter I borrowed from another volunteer, praying that this time the cardboard would light. It was cold, at least in the minus temperatures, in my small hut called 'The Dome.' If I couldn't get my wood burner lit, I was going to freeze. I prayed, and frantically lit the card. It took. I hurried to throw on more card. The flames began to trickle over the kindling and started to smoke. I had made my fire. I would be warm this evening...

I have arrived at this strange land in New Mexico. Although I've been here for four days now, this is my first post as i've been so busy with looking after my general well being! My evenings have been spent chopping firewood, sorting out my clothes for the next day, starting a fire, trecking a mile to the shower block and cooking my dinner in the communal volunteer kitchen. It's hard work, but one of the most rewarding experiences I've had to date.

I'm currently staying on site at the wolf sanctuary, which is located within the Navajo community, a third world country located within America. Natives still live in caves around here. Due to the persecution of natives by the white man, if I were to enter one of the pubelos in this region, I'd properbly be beaten up or killed! Trees doted across mountanous landscapes, which are covered with snow and ravens line the sky. The most wonderful part of this place is the silence. We're literally in the middle of nowhere! In fact, where I'm, staying, 'the Dome' is about a mile away from the sanctuary site, meaning that if I want a shower or something to eat I have to treck through the snow and trees on unmarked paths to find my way. This is quite interesting when in the snow! Even more so when I need the toilet, and have to dart across the freezing cold snow at night to find the nearest outhouse!! Backtracking, the silence is wonderful, but even better when I wake up at 6am to the sound of howling wolves. The Dome is backed up against the farthest enclosure, meaning that when I step outside I can see two wolves about 10 meters away.

The wolves are beautiful. Wild Spirit currently have 54 wolves, and I'm expected to know them all by name. This is difficult with the Nola Pack, a pack of 5 wolves who mostly look the same! My days thus far have been very testing, getting up at 6, starting work at 7.30 and going on until about 5, when my attempts to look after myself begin. It's worth it though. Watching the other volunteers interact with their animals, something I'll get to do once I have been trained on certain wolves (each wolf requires seperate training on how to behave around them) i'll be able to this, and I can't wait! At the moment, we can watch others interact, and are learning the daily routine so we can eventually be left on our own devices to do it. I have been able to feed the wolves, which involves throwing frozen red meat loaves in opposite directions into the enclosures (or 'habitats') to ensure the same wolf doesn't get fed twice! This was really good fun, the most interaction I've had yet.

The best moment so far has been learning to drive the pickup truck. George, the caretaker, took us out to the 'shit pit' where all the bones and skat are thrown. We took it in turns to drive the pickup truck around the circut to the pit. It was wierd to drive over solid snow, and thought of all the drivers in England who couldn't drive over a few small patches! It's been a life long dream of mine to live in the mountains with my pickup truck and dog. I have achieved the first two, and Layton, the sites director, has mentioned about me being able to take a dog home with me so that I can better understand dogs, and thus wolves.

Tonight I'm watching a movie with the other voulnteers, Katie, who's from Texas, Robin from Oxford and Jason from Ireland. We're all new volunteers who've started at the same time. We cook together which is nice. This evening was lasagne! Everyone here is really nice, which is helping with the settling in. I'm starting to get more relaxed with this lifestyle. Instead of wasting time worrying about the trivial things, Im totally occupied with looking after myself. It's hard work, but the kind of lifestyle that if I could adopt when in the comforts of home, would lead to a peaceful, relaxed life.