Nestled in the mountains East of San Diego, is a little known wolf facility the California Wolf Center.   www.californiawolfcenter.org   It has actually been there for decades and they have maintained one of the largest packs of Alaskan wolves in the lower 48 for many years, but as with many such facilities, few people actually know about them. They currently have several packs, mostly non socialized wolves. They are also part of the Mexican Wolf Recovery program and currently even have a litter from this past spring of these highly endangered wolves. Of course the Mexican wolves are animals which may be released back into the wild so they are not on exhibit. In fact they were not only off exhibit, but from the observation platform I could clearly see that they were not visible. So, I stuck with the main pack of wolves, I believe 11 of them, and two 'retirees' the former alpha male who lost his tail to cancer and a female.

		For this part of the trip I had to use the 2x converter on the digital camera. The wolves were not actually being afraid of my being there taking their photos (through or over the fence of course) but they also were not at all interested in posing like the wolves back home, so I used the 2x on the camera.

Actually, the old tailless alpha male did pose quite nicely. They had a rock and dirt mound in their pen and he would go up there and pose away. Even his shy companion went up there briefly, ignoring my presence. I think my kneeling down, having the camera right at the bottom of the fence, and with the digital, not having to do more than look at the screen on the back -- so I was looking down and not at them -- this really helped relax her...

My trip to the CWC was poorly timed on my part because they were having their annual seminar. They focus mostly on capture and immobilization of wolves, and well other wild animals, and to my knowledge this is the only place one can take such a seminar. I only sat in on a little bit of it, but it was obvious this is a great program they have. I took a few photos of 'target practice' -- both air guns and a blow gun were being practiced with real darts (filled with water) and a life-sized drawing of a wolf. It might have seemed easy, but even the still target, a real wolf would be running about, was difficult to hit accurately in the hind leg...

It was also really great to see Patrick Valentino and Dan Moriarty again. I'm so glad to have been invited up there!
     On my way back down the mountain there was a very nice looking sunset. I stopped the car and took a bunch of digital photographs as the sun set behind the mountains. As the colors faded, I put the camera and all it's parts back in it's case and started back down the hill. Much to my surprise what I had seen was only the beginning! Suddenly all the dark clouds lit up in brilliant pinks! I quickly pulled over again, unpacked the camera and began shooting -- and shot twice the number of photos as I had done just previously. I've never seen a double sunset like this before. If only I had the equipment to do a time lapse film of this event. First a so-so sunset over the mountains. Then encroaching darkness. Suddenly, vibrant colors again and brilliant pinks stretching much further than in the previous episode. A beautiful epilog to the day.