Have you ever sent a post out into the blogosphere, absolutely convinced it was going to be Freshly Pressed? And then it wasn’t?
You’re not alone.
I’ve asked some fantastic bloggers to select the post that had them muttering,”THIS One Should Have Been Freshly Pressed.” A new blogger is featured each week to receive the coveted Freshly Pegged distinction. Participants will be awarded a genuine, simulated “Freshly Pegged” JPEG badge, suitable for posting in a place of honor on their blogs. Or not.
Be sure to read all the great Freshly Pegged offerings to date. But before you do, let’s check out…
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Thoughts Appear. I didn’t know Thoughtsy very well last year when I asked her to join the elite fighting force that was responsible for the WordPress coup known as Better Living Through Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. She didn’t even like that food group as it turned out (what???), but she did not let us down.
Thoughtsy blogs about a wide range of subjects. Important things like pop-tarts, kittens and horror movies. She also lets her readers tag along with her as she navigates the shark-infested waters of “relationships” for a woman in her early 30s.
Her movie reviews are my faves. In Movies Teach Us, Thoughtsy condenses 2-1/2 hours of cinema into a couple of take away points. These may not be precisely what the director had in mind, but her summaries are generally a whole lot funnier.
Go get comfy at Thoughtsy’s place, right after you read…
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Wolves Are the New Lap Dogs
The Seacrest Wolf Preserve offers a one-of-a-kind experience: a visit to the wolf’s world. For a few hours, I became part of the wolf pack, and those wolves welcomed me with open paws.
Before entering wolf territory, here’s what you need to know:
- Wolves give muzzle greetings. Just like a dog. They want to lick and maybe even softly bite your face.
- Wolves also like to greet your hands…with their mouths. Think of it as a handshake….with teeth.
- No quick or sharp movements. It’ll scare the wolves. (Really? I’m going to scare a wolf?)
- No loose items allowed except your disposable camera.
- Wolves like hoodies. Hoods are toys.
Upon meeting the first wolf pack, I got to pet Kiowa and Teton, and I thought, “That’s it. I petted a wolf.” I even turned to my friend and said, “Mission accomplished. 30 Before 30 item completed.”
How was I to know these wolves would take my experience one step further?
When I met the second wolf pack, I met Koko (but let’s spell it as “Cocoa” because it reminds me of chocolate). Isn’t she gorgeous? I love her. I wanted her to come home with me. I’m pretty sure the feeling was mutual.
Cocoa gave me a muzzle greeting, played with my hoodie, and then made herself at home on my lap.
ON MY LAP.
And there she sat while I petted her with one hand and she lightly gnawed on my other hand. It was like she was teething. Her light biting didn’t hurt at all.
Cocoa sat on my lap for a few minutes. It seemed like an eternity. I loved every second of it.
The wolf encounter was amazing. Not only did I get the physical interaction with the wolves, it was also a nice mix of education (I learned that wolves are a keystone species) and personalized stories (one Seacrest wolf can flat foot jump an 8-foot fence).
If you’re in FL (or even if you’re not), I’d recommend checking out the wolves. It was $15, and I spent about 2.5-3 hours in the wolf enclosures.
It was truly an unforgettable and one-of-a-kind experience that I’ll never forget…and can’t wait to do again!
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
Pingback: Freshly Pegged: Wolves Are the New Lap Dogs | Thoughts Appear
It’s me! It’s me! Thank you so much! How much should I charge for autographs?
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I’ll pay you big bucks!
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The going rate is $20…except for Darla. She gets $50.
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And to think I was going to accept Pop-Tarts.
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Hoods are toys? Rut roh!
Al Hood
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Ooooo…the wolves would really like you.
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The human chew toy!
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Sigh, it looks lovely.
I’d like to go there too…
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Do it! I had a wonderful time!
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Awesome. Sounds like fun. 😉
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It was great fun! I got to pet a few other animals while I was there, too. Skunks, foxes….
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Nice.
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Cool! Never thought of meeting wolves, I guess I thought of myself more like a dolphin kind of girl, but after reading this I’ll give it a go. If I ever get the chance that is 🙂
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Do both! Dolphins are cool too!
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I’ve always wanted to experience a ‘handshake with teeth’. How cool is that? Thoughtsy, you live quite the life. Here I was thinking I should get a dog.
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Get a dog who looks like a wolf.
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I’ve seen this picture of you a bunch of times, but somehow I’ve never actually read this post. How is that possible? My boys would LOVE this. Where in FL is it? (Not like I can’t just click the link. Obviously, I need you to do ALL the work for me. I’m kinda horrible like that).
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Just outside Panama City Beach. Can I come with?
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Aww, MAN! We were just in Pensacola… we could have went and wolfed it up!
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I can’t go. They won’t let me…all the wolves would end up at my house (eating my house…but they’d have to jostle and shove Molly off my lap – my hands are well gnawed – and it used to be a hoodie. See if you hold the shredded streamers together…).
How very cool. (Molly is now pouting her relatives are allowed to chew, teething, and climb on.)
PLEASE: contact Congress and your representatives about the new proposals concerning wolves and unregulated hunting – especially near Yellowstone. (wolf breeding pairs may be reduced to only 10?) the Sierra club probably has more info on their website. The wolves and their domesticated cousins thank you
GREAT POST!
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It’s so sad how wolves have been villianized.
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I remember this! That was the coolest thing ever.
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I would be anxious around a dog I didn’t now, let alone a wolf. She’s one brave chick!
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Brave woman 😀
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Brave…nuts. They’re two sides of the same coin, right?
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True.
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That is SO COOL. And only $15?!
I’m totally not thinking of making a Twilight joke right now. Nooope. Not me.
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If only that wolf had turned into Jacob.
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Go Team Jacob!
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TTHAT SOUNDS SO COOL. Sorry I got carried away. But as a dog lover, this sounds like heaven, only probably smellier. In a good way.
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What a concept: heaven smells like a kennel.
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I have very low standards or I really love dogs. Take your pick! Or perhaps it’s a combination of the two.
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Thanks so much for classing up the joint today, Thoughtsy. You are my hero for being so brave to let a wolf gnaw on you. Our dog does that gentle hand biting and I always yell “No!” – I thought it was bad behavior.
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Gnawing equals love.
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Cause I never met a wolf who didn’t love to howl!
No, I never met a man who wasn’t on the prowl
Oh, wait. Different kind of wolf. 🙂 Congratulations on being Freshly Pegged! 🙂
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I see you still have your Smash CDs on loop, eh? 😉
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Oh my! What an awesome experience. This is on my bucket list and I’m so excited to live vicariously through you, Thoughtsy! ( I would also love to see wolves in the wild, but let’s not tell my mother that, okay?) Were these wolves born in captivity or rescued?
Thanks for featuring this post, Peg. I’m going to hop over to Thoughtsy’s blog and the Seacrest site.
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Some were rescued and some born in captivity. I think there were 4 or 5 packs. Definitely visit!
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Um, I’m ,gosh how shall I say this, a WIMP and I will just watch the lovely animals from the safety of my couch on the Animal Planet channel. I just kept staring at the photo of you thinking, “Holy hell, I would have peed my pants.”
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I tend to put a lot of trust in others. Sometimes it works to my benefit. Like with the wolves.
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Hey, I know her.
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I definitely need to do that someday. But I’m glad you didn’t bring her home with you. I don’t think Esme would have approved.
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I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a wolf before… I’ve certainly been nowhere near that close to one! Very cool!
Also, I’m doing my best to resist making a ‘The Hangover’ ‘One-Man Wolf-Pack’ joke. Which is difficult… because I’m classy like that.
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You can make that joke. I loved that movie!
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I’m envious. What a fantastic experience, how I would love to do that. The closest we get to wolves here is seeing them in Dublin Zoo or dressing bob up!
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Oh wow. That’s amazing! I’m always a bit leery of places that lets people interact with wild animals though. I like to admire them but from afar giving them the respect and distance they deserve. For example I probably won’t be cozying up to a tiger anytime soon to pet it (mostly because a lot of those places tend to drug the animals to keep them docile). But in sanctuaries you usually end up with people who are passionate about the work they do and they seem to know what they are doing. I might go and pet a wolf. 🙂
And I totally thought this post would have some kind of reference to that hilarious Brad Pitt Chanel Number 5 commercial when I saw “thoughts appear!” Some of the narration included “dreams disappear, plans change” or something.
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This is completely on my bucket list. I am in such envious awe.
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This looks not only fun, but educational…and maybe a way for me to make a couple of extra bucks (since no one wants my autograph).
I had a couple of coyotes saunter down my street yesterday morning. Do you think that’ll work? Maybe I could dye them and pass them off as mini-wolves? Perhaps I could hire them out as gopher getters?
Actually, here in Oregon, the wolf population is a raging controversy. Most of the packs are tagged and their locations mapped as they travel. Our Sierra Club works with the cattle ranchers, but it’s a fragile relationship. They’re beautiful creatures, but living with man is proving to be challenging.
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I’d love to see the video of you capturing the coyotes to dye them.
You raise a good point about living with man. That seems to be a significant issue with bears and wolves, and I don’t know what the proper solution is.
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