This past summer, July 14 to be exact, I fell in love with a six month old two ton baby! Finally I met a baby who showed himself to be everything a baby should be: obedient, compliant and bratty at all the same time.
When I was first introduced to "Chauncy," he obediently followed his mother and their escort, Charlie, around the quiet, peaceful waters of the inside passage outside of Juneau, Alaska. He seemed to be content, sometimes playing, sometimes fishing, sometimes just being lazy. For one and a half hours, Chauncy never deviated from his mother's side. The expert in whale culture who introduced Chauncy to those of us who were on this photo safari whale watching trip stated that they had been expecting him to start breaching and showing out for the past two weeks. He had been eating with the adults as well as nursing his mother and was getting a healthy coat of what we call "belly fat," belly fat that is needed to help him glide through the water and become more effective in the life skills and survival skills so necessary to protect him as he develops and matures.
After one and a half hours, Chauncy decided to explore each of the seven boats that were whale watching that day! He became the star! He developed a voice and began to discover his own way. He checked everything out, even to the despair of his mother and Charlie. Even in spite of the dangers lurking in the deep, dark waters below and surrounding him in the cool mist in the glaciers and mountains, he tried and tried and tried to be perfect like his mama. But to his despair he would find himself unable to complete his activities the way he wanted to and. . . WOW!!!
That is what this story is about. Should Chauncy be judged a brat that day or is he a hero for stepping out on his own and doing things his own way--even with his failures and successes? I hope you will be able to decide for yourself as you follow his struggle to win the prize for satisfying his curiosity and overcoming his obstacles.
Book to be published in the near future.
When I was first introduced to "Chauncy," he obediently followed his mother and their escort, Charlie, around the quiet, peaceful waters of the inside passage outside of Juneau, Alaska. He seemed to be content, sometimes playing, sometimes fishing, sometimes just being lazy. For one and a half hours, Chauncy never deviated from his mother's side. The expert in whale culture who introduced Chauncy to those of us who were on this photo safari whale watching trip stated that they had been expecting him to start breaching and showing out for the past two weeks. He had been eating with the adults as well as nursing his mother and was getting a healthy coat of what we call "belly fat," belly fat that is needed to help him glide through the water and become more effective in the life skills and survival skills so necessary to protect him as he develops and matures.
After one and a half hours, Chauncy decided to explore each of the seven boats that were whale watching that day! He became the star! He developed a voice and began to discover his own way. He checked everything out, even to the despair of his mother and Charlie. Even in spite of the dangers lurking in the deep, dark waters below and surrounding him in the cool mist in the glaciers and mountains, he tried and tried and tried to be perfect like his mama. But to his despair he would find himself unable to complete his activities the way he wanted to and. . . WOW!!!
That is what this story is about. Should Chauncy be judged a brat that day or is he a hero for stepping out on his own and doing things his own way--even with his failures and successes? I hope you will be able to decide for yourself as you follow his struggle to win the prize for satisfying his curiosity and overcoming his obstacles.
Book to be published in the near future.