Saturday, November 21, 2015

"There's a Seal in My Sleeping Bag" by Lyn Hancock

When I find authors I like, I purchase more books to enjoy. One author I discovered in the last year was Lyn Hancock. She is well known in British Columbia for the books she has written since the early 1970s and for nature presentations she made in schools along with her then husband David.

I haven't read her books in order, and you don't need to. Each one can stand alone, but as you read more of her titles there are common threads and each book expands on previous topics and adventures. The first book I read was There's a Racoon in my Parka and then Love Affair with a Cougar. The newest book for me was There's a Seal in My Sleeping Bag (Alfred A. Knopf, 1972).

Sea lion (not a fur seal like Sam) at Powell River.
One animal that's prominent in many of Lyn's books is Sam, a northern fur seal that came into her life only one month after her honeymoon. David was always bringing home animals and birds, and a lot of their care fell on Lyn. Overcoming many challenges including lack of experience, having to force feed unwilling animals, and an initial deep seated dislike of fish, she became a strong force in the couple's conservation efforts.

Lyn had a complex schedule for animal care wrapped around her career as a teacher. Her work load compounded when David was away on speaking tours or scientific studies. She also took many of her animals to school to give students first hand experiences with nature.

Seagulls on Mittlenatch Island.
While Sam's story threaded its way through the book, Lyn also shared about adventures with David to study eagles, seabirds, seals, whales, otters, and much more. I could feel Lyn's fear of heights and could relate to her climbing cliffs on hands and knees, and sliding down on her bum. But I have to admit, she handled it much better than I could have. And all the while they were filming their experiences for conservation presentations and school tours.

I still have seventeen of Lyn's twenty books left to enjoy. You can find more information about her books and speaking engagements at the Lyn Hancock website or Facebook. I highly recommend you try or even reread one of her books. They are timeless. -- Margy

18 comments:

  1. I love the cover of this book and these are the type of books I really enjoy reading. Thank you so much for sharing.

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    1. I've enjoyed all three of her books that I've read. They are older but timeless in their topics. - Margy

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  2. Thank you for visiting my blog !

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  3. I'm sure i read that book years and years ago!

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    1. I believe she is well known because of her presentations and many books. I know many people have commented they read her books when they first came out. - Margy

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  4. Oh boy - so many books - I can't wait. But guess I'll have to - I'm a bit behind in my reading - three are just waiting to be read right now. Thanks for the tip - I'll be on the lookout for them.

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    1. I know what you mean. I have a stack of about six in Bellingham and maybe twenty more in Powell River. And that doesn't count what's waiting on Kindle. - Margy

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  5. Thanks for the recommendation. I love reading books like these although I hadn't heard of this author before.

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    1. Even though she has some newer titles, her most famous books were from the 1970s or so. - Margy

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  6. Sounds like a book I would enjoy, thanks for the review. Happy Sunday!

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    1. I know you like critters, and Lyn sure has lots in her books. - Margy

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  7. I have heard of this author. Thanks for sharing the title of this book.

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    1. I guess she is very famous, especially in BC. - Margy

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  8. Book sounds interesting and looked it up on Amazon and it wasn't available for Kindle---I'll go from there
    MB

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  9. That sounds interesting. And what great wildlife!

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  10. Great shots of the sea life.

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  11. Hi! Nice captures. Thanks for sharing.

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy