Rescued!!

I couldn’t stand it any longer…….I know some of you will be so relieved…… so here is the story..  (Long for me but family and friends want to know!)
This morning  (day 17) for the first time I don’t think Libby had moved far from her spot of last night…she looked weaker and we began to abandon our slim wishful hope that she could make it on her own.    I’m feeling very sad as I took my boat out for a row on a gorgeous warm day.  (I usually don’t go 2 days in a row but this was too nice…we were bit late tho :-))    As I was rowing out past the little round island a boat came toward me from the bigger island you can see in front…It’s friend J who is an engineer for BC Ferries and lives on Wise Island with his wife and dogs. (I’ve blipped them before  and he took the creasoted pole off our beach recently to use)   He had a Seattle Yacht Club insignia flag he’d found to give me and thought we might know someone there.  ( We do)  So we are chatting while bobbing about from too many boat wakes, and I tell him about Libby.  Immediately he says “would you like me to take it over to the wildlife center?..I’ve brought about 5! and our friend M works there”  and then he says “I know,  there ARE too many seals….but………”  And I say I was trying not to but YES!   He’s about to go to work but he says he’ll tell K, his wife.     I barely make it back rowing to my dock and had only a chance to tell H about the flag when here comes the “rescue boat” zooming over with K and her HS age niece….with a tub and a towel and she goes and puts Libby who does not resist (extra) in the tub.  Now who could resist the look in those eyes?  (She’s been haunting me with them. yes, one looks a bit goopy.  her fur is so silky )    They had to phone her friend and send a picture to make sure it’s the right kind of seal (I thot harbor seals were all we had here!) .. then the other relatives on their big boat come to watch with the little brother who wants to see.  The Dad says we should leave her alone.  And then J comes along in his work clothes and HIS  boat (extra) and gets a better connection with the phone to the friend.     So off K and her niece go to to Fernwood on west coast of Saltspring Is where they will be met by someone from the wildlife center.  (extra..with Wise Is in middle and Saltspring in background ..about 30 min)    Whew…some one who could pull the trigger.   It wasn’t clear to us that the wildlife center were still in business from the website that is not functioning.. But in the time we all had on the beach I learned a lot—J and K also don’t know when exactly to interfere and have watched  them abandoned on their dock.   After the pup doesn’t  resist or try to get away it seems then there is not hope they can be on their own.    They do bite.   K has tried feeding fish (anchovies ground up in her blender) but unless they are ready to be weaned off mother’s milk, they won’t eat it.   And Moms don't really teach the young HOW to fish. They were surprised the eagles hadn’t found her yet…But she was smart to make her home under the wharf or so close where I don’t think the eagles would venture.  J says this is the smallest one he’s rescued.   (I think she is bigger than the one I rescued in 1999..we have pictures...)  I think it was a nice adventure for the visiting niece.   J says they’re always up for a boat ride!      So I’ll keep you posted.   I think Libby is a feisty one and will respond.  And I will sleep a whole lot better tonight.   And philosophize at another time…….

I will put her whole story of the 17 days on Flickr but the internet is so slow I can’t do it now.,

A few in the extras.