Wolves by Strangers

From David in Siauliai, Lithuania

I only received this illustration yesterday, but I have already experienced so much joy in trying to unfold its intricate mysteries that I simply couldn’t resist sharing it as soon as possible… Enjoy! And bravo to David for this epic creation.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a
stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in
awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed.”

~ Albert Einstein

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From Megan in Chattanooga, Tennessee

“There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

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From Joanne and Cody in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (both age 7)

With this note:

Joanne&Cody<3

From Andrew in Columbia, Missouri

“We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning.”

~ Henry Ward Beecher

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From Jenn (?) in Hertfordshire, England

Enjoy these nice thoughts about hugs courtesy of poofcat.com. And don’t forget to hug the ones you love today!

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Hugging is natural, organic, naturally sweet, free of pesticides and

preservatives. Hugging contains no artificial ingredients. It’s

100% wholesome. No calories, no caffeine, no nicotine.

Hugging is nearly perfect. There are no removable parts, batteries to wear

out, no periodic checkups. It consumes little energy, while yielding a lot.

It’s inflation-proof. It’s nonfattening. There are no monthly payments.

No insurance requirements.

It’s theft-proof, nontaxable, nonpolluting,

and fully refundable. And it costs very little.

Hugging is healthy. It assists the body’s immune system, it cures depression,

it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it invigorates, it rejuvenates,

and it has no unpleasant side-effects.

Hugging is no less than a miracle drug.

From Lauren in Pickens, South Carolina

FACT: Wolves were once the most widely distributed land predator the world has ever seen. The only places they didn’t thrive were in the true desert and rainforests.

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From Damien in Phoenix, Arizona

The following is a selection from “Leader of the Pack” written by George Morton, Jeff Berry & Ellie Greenwhich; performed by The Shangri-Las.

Is she really going out with him?
Well, there she is. Let’s ask her.
Betty, is that Jimmy’s ring you’re wearing?
Mm-hmm
Gee, it must be great riding with him
Is he picking you up after school today?
Uh-uh
By the way, where’d you meet him?

I met him at the candy store
He turned around and smiled at me
You get the picture? (yes, we see)
That’s when I fell for (the leader of the pack)

My folks were always putting him down
They said he came from the wrong side of town
(whatcha mean when ya say that he came from the wrong side of town?)
They told me he was bad
But I knew he was sad
That’s why I fell for (the leader of the pack)

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From Olivia in Southland, New Zealand

FACT: A hungry wolf can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal, which is akin to a human eating one hundred hamburger patties.

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From Jesse in Raleigh, North Carolina

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“He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.”

~ Samuel Johnson

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From a stranger in an unknown place

The idea of the ancient/enduring wolf being outfitted with modern rocket technology led me on an interesting trip around the Internet where I ultimately stumbled upon this interesting fact. It certainly does make your head spin to realize how swiftly times are changing…

“The small chip inside today’s throwaway musical greeting card has more computing power in it than existed in the entire world prior to 1950.”

~ David D. Thornburg, Ph.D.

From M. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Feeling sick? Check out these wolf-related remedies for what ails ya!

In ancient Rome, barren women attended the Roman festival Lupercalia (named for the legendary nursery cave of Romulus and Remus) in the hopes of becoming fertile.

According to Pliny the Elder, a first-century Greek scholar, wolf teeth could be rubbed on the gums of infants to ease the pain of teething. He also reported that wolf dung could be used to treat both colic and cataracts.

The Aztecs used wolf liver as an ingredient for treating melancholy. They also pricked a patient’s breast with a sharpened wolf bone in an attempt to delay death.

During the Middle Ages, Europeans used powdered wolf liver to ease the pain of childbirth and would tie a wolf’s right front paw around a sore throat to reduce the swelling. Dried wolf meat was also eaten as a remedy for sore shins.

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From K. in Evanston, Illinois

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.”

~ Anatole France

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From Devin in Lyford, Texas

“A gentleman is simply a patient wolf.”

~ Lana Turner

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From a stranger in Long Island, New York

Enjoy a few facts about that alluring and mysterious call of the wolf: the howl.

Wolves howl to contact separated members of their group, to rally the group before hunting, or to warn rival wolf packs to keep away. Lone wolves will howl to attract mates or just because they are alone. Each wolf howls for only about five seconds, but howls can seem much longer when the entire pack joins in.

Biologists have found that wolves will respond to humans imitating their howls. The International Wolf Center in Minnesota even sponsors “howl nights” on which people can howl in the wilderness and hope for an answering howl.

Wolf howls may be audible to the human ear up to ten miles away in good weather conditions.

While howling, wolves change pitch to achieve harmonic as well as discordant effects.

Since lone wolves have no established territory, they rarely howl.

From Ulla in Finland

Many people can boast about receiving a few Christmas cards from close friends, but how many can say that they received one from a stranger half way around the world? Thank you, Ulla. I hope this new is full of blessings for you. (For more information about the manufacturer of this card and its accompany artwork, visit amusantti.fi)

“Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways
it can change someone else’s life forever.”

~ Margaret Cho

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From a stranger in Burnsville, North Carolina

FACT: The earliest known drawings of wolves are in caves in southern Europe and date from approximately 20,000 B.C.

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From Lisa in Nottingham, England

A special thanks is due to Lisa for submitting these photographs of her own fantastic wolf sculptures. This occasion marks another first for the WBS project and also helps to stretch the boundaries of the art which this unique collection boasts.

“People compose for many reasons: to become immortal; because they want to become a millionaire; because of the praise of friends; because they have looked into a pair of beautiful eyes; or for no reason whatsoever.”

 ~ Robert Schumann

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From Arantxa in Colombia

“I have seen the movement of the sinews of the sky,
And the blood coursing in the veins of the moon.”

~ Muhammad Iqbal

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From Jeremy

Happy Friday the 13th!

“Listen to them. Children of the Night.
What music they make.”

~ Dracula (1931)

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From Phaedra

“Careless shepherd make excellent dinner for wolf.”
~ Earl Derr Biggers