indiaharrisdotcom
From maple leaves to mango trees. I'm a Canadian woman living on a tropical island in the Philippines. Welcome to my world...
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The silverback hesitated, watching us intently from behind a screen of foliage. He then seemed to make a decision and began moving toward us quickly. His size was intimidating, roughly 450 pounds we had been told by our guide. Trust me, that’s BIG when you’re up close. Our rules had been clear: maintain a minimum distance of seven meters from the gorillas. This big silverback didn’t seem to care about the rules. He… Read More
Two months ago I swam with dolphins in Hawaii. They were not wild dolphins, but had been born in captivity, or as our dolphin trainer politely corrected me, they had been “born under human care”. Apparently, the word “captivity” evokes more negative images than “under human care.” But her comment made me wonder — is human care really such a good thing? Do we humans actually take good care of anything, including ourselves?… Read More
I came to Thailand to buy an elephant. Not to own one as a pet so I can tie it up in my backyard and impress the neighbors — but to buy freedom for a working elephant. This has been my goal for quite a while. Six years ago I came here and worked as a volunteer at an elephant sanctuary called Elephant Nature Park outside of Chiang Mai. At the risk of… Read More
Wow, lots of you guys are dog lovers!! I’ve had so many messages during the past month asking how Private Ryan is doing and I thank you for caring about a dog that one Englishman in my neighborhood recently told me “needs a bullet”. Well, the answer is: Private Ryan has developed a small belly during the past month! He also has much more energy than he used to have, but his… Read More
Yesterday I experienced a coincidence which I have since decided was “a sign”. Yesterday was the anniversary of my Aunt Bonnie’s death from cancer six years ago, a date which is probably remembered by almost every member of my family. Though I have hundreds of wonderful memories of Aunt Bonnie while she was alive, I have to admit that when I am reminded of her now I mostly think about her tombstone… Read More
He’s not much to look at right now and maybe he never will be. The fact is, he may not live through the week. But then again, he might. I’ve named him Private Ryan because he’s in a battle to survive and he definitely needs saving. Private Ryan lives in my neighborhood, though in an area where I rarely travel. I saw him last week and was horrified and angry. “Oh, you… Read More
I woke up to find a very large polar bear asleep in a snow drift outside my window. This was my first morning in Churchill, Canada, and all through the previous night a blizzard had raged, shaking our walls and rattling our nerves. By morning, however, all was calm. I was so surprised to see this massive polar bear curled up in the snow that I completely ignored my camera. Instead of taking photos, I sat… Read More
“A STRONG WINTER STORM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST WILL BRING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS INTO CHURCHILL, MANITOBA…SNOW AND STRONG SOUTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN MANITOBA AS AS A POWERFUL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE NEAR NOON FRIDAY AS A POWERFUL COLD FRONT ROARS THROUGH THE AREA, WITH NORTHWESTERLY WINDS GUSTING TO 80 KM/H, NEAR-ZERO VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW, AND TEMPERATURES PLUNGING CLOSE TO THE -20… Read More
Traveling to Canada’s north in winter is basically like opening your freezer door and climbing inside. Have you ever had a burning desire to sit down beside your frozen chicken thighs and ice cubes? “Of course not”, you say. Well, you’re right — it’s pretty much insane. Most sensible Canadians wouldn’t even consider a trip to the frozen tundra. At this time of year, they’re all booking vacations to relax among the beaches… Read More
Africa is a great teacher. To watch a lion kill with savagery, then gently share the meat with its cubs is a reminder that despite our best attempts to disguise ourselves, we too are animals. Let’s not think for a moment that we don’t kill. No matter how much pretty wrapping paper we use, those bacon strips we ate this morning were once a pig. Last night’s barbecued steak was once a… Read More
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"My life is all about travel, photography, helping animals, and writing..."
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July 2014
Camping in Washington state
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