Growing up I read all sorts of animal books including those of Jack London, and Albert Payson Terhune, a local author who wrote about collies, and of course, Julie of the Wolves. So I guess it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when I had a dream about wolves. It wasn’t an ordinary dream. It was one of those half-awake dreams where you can remember every little detail. I immediately wrote it down, and then began researching wolves. Until that moment, wolves were minor characters in stories, but I really didn’t know much about them. The more I learned, the more I liked. I now have a shelf full of fiction and non-fiction wolf books and wolf art decorates the house.

This past summer I had the pleasure of visiting the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota. I’ve been a member since they were established. It was a wonderful experience to finally meet their ambassador wolves, Aiden and Denali. (Only a foot away through the glass wall.) I even got to meet their three retired ambassadors, Malik, Shadow, and Grizzer, on a behind the scenes tour. The biggest thrill, however, was listening to the wild wolves howl back to us on the Wolf Communication field trip. I guess Buck isn’t the only one who’s heard the call of the wild.

(Call of the Wild published in 1903, was written by Jack London. Julie of the Wolves published in 1972, was written by Jean Craighead George. A few Albert Payson Terhune books are still in print or as eBooks. My favorite was Gray Dawn, but Lad: A Dog published in 1919, is the most well-known.)