Learning from Mama

Bob's daughters had given us a wonderful set of DVDs for Christmas, called 'Planet Earth'. The 5 or 6 set of DVDs have wonderful segments from Discover Channel with all kinds of wonderful glimpses into exotic parts of the world and at wonderful creatures that no one person could ever Possibly come to see in person. The photography is to die for, and it left me wanting to make a gourd that celebrated something more about this wonderful world we live in.

Albeit, Grey Wolves are not terribly exotic -- most of us have seen and heard them. But they are wonderfully romantic all in themselves. They were once revered by Native Americans, but came close to extinction with the white man 20th Century settlers. Wolves were seen as a danger to their livestock, and consequently their own survival. The Grey Wolf now is a protected species in many North American states, although its numbers are much reduced, it is not in danger of extinction.

In 1994 a friend of mine was killed by a mountain lion while running, and so many of us blamed it on the fact that the cougar is also a protected animal in California. I really did go through all the emotions of hating cougars and wanting them to be hunted in order to make sure they could never do this again. But now -- 14 years later I can once again believe that we need to try to figure out ways to co-survive with the wondrous creatures and try to ensure diversity. In the end, our own long term survival as a species may depend on it. Of course, the hard part is finding the right balance, and doing that is way over my head!

Learning From Mama depicts a mother wolf (obviously) with four pups that you cannot see in this photo -- all of them watching her intently so that they can learn to do what she does. This is a very nice gourd which I bought from a gourd farm in Knights Landing. It is sturdy, smooth and stable, and I think many of you will like it.

I have had a request for my next gourd sale, and that is to have the money go to La Esperanza Scholarship Fund at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. So, please consider this as your donation destiny if you wish to have 'Learning From Mama'.


Margie Lopez Read

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