The Boy...

Hi,

We drove over a state line to see him. Found him in a dingy living room cowering behind a glass display of skulls. He whined and ran from Amy and myself. He was born next to freight rails, at the end of the road. The house reminded me of an overgrown gorge. A home sunken by poverty and a long horizon of unrealized dreams.

Rick, our mobile vet told me over the phone at our dusty airport where I fly, where antelope run and coyote cry. Where I strap into a man-made dragonfly, where I soar till I can tickle the under belly of clouds and look beyond with the respect of the raptor. Rick said, the most important aspect to bringing a wolf-hybrid into our home is observing the potential of unpredictability of the dad.

"What if we have a child," said Amy.

The second April let go of Tundra's collar, the wolf/malamute dad of the pup ran to us as if we were lost members of his pack. Dad was strong, slender, North-pole white and a sweet-heart.

We took the little hybrid outside. He whined. He took off the opposite direction from where we kneeled in the front yard weeds. He looked out. He whined. He turned around, flopped back and found comfort in Amy's open hands.

"He picked me," said Amy.