BEARS!!

"If you go down to the woods today, you'd better go in disguise. For every bear that ever was will gather there for certain, because today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic... "-Teddy Bear Picnic Song ( excerpt)by Henry Hall

 Autumn. First one bear. Then another. Picnic time. I'm usually outside just at first light, or before, in the quiet, with the crickets and just the birds and the wind, and maybe a visiting cat or two. In the half dark, I couldn't see the big dark, quiet shape moving down the side of the house. Soft pad pad pad, over the grass. Crickets became quiet. Wind silent. Cats disappeared. Birds vanished. I went back inside the house....

Turned around at the closed door to see this right behind me. Startled. Surprised. Suddenly felt like prey. "BEAR!"   Magnificent, sleepy bear, with glistening fur. She waddled as she walked. All stuffed with apples, as she plodded across the way, parting the grass with her big paws.

Momma bear. She was stressed. Looking for a way out of our enclosed yard. She was panting hard. I figured she'd spent the night at the back of the hill, under the apple tree, gorging herself on fruit. There's a huge gate on the fence, but she was too close Just wanted to open those large doors, so she could find a way out. 

She circled, and finally dropped over the fence into the other yard. The fence shook from her weight. Big bear. The maple tree bent and cracked as she slid her torso down into the brush, with a resounding thud.

An hour later, this young bear showed up. Just outside the office window. He romped and sniffed and shoved apples in his mouth. Chewed. Slobbered. Chased birds. Climbed the cherry tree where he swatted at the leaves, and clacked his teeth, and huffed. I read that bears often huff after they've climbed a tree, or are stressed. Still couldn't get to the gate to open it.

"The little Teddy Bears are having a lovely time today. Watch them, catch them unawares, and see them picnic on their holiday..." -Teddy Bears picnic ( excerpt)

The young bear dropped down onto the ground . Looking for her. Sniffed and snuffled all through the hill. 

"Beneath the trees where nobody sees, they'll hide and seek as long as they please..." -T. B.Picnic song( excerpt)

Till he found her. A last. The other side of the fence.  She was asleep by then. You could see her big frame rising and falling, as she breathed and rolled over, her paws twitching. Yes, she was that close. Could here her sleepy sounds from the window.

What to do now? Left to his own devices, now that mom was snoring away. He ran. And ran. All around the yard. Up into the cherry tree.The ground  thumped as he ran. (I read later , black bears can run up to 48 kmh.)He sat up in the tree, swatting once more at leaves. Then charged back down to cram himself with fallen apples. Crunch. Drool. More slobbering. 

While he was busy doing that, the gate was finally opened wide, so he could find his way out. His mother slept till after 7:30 pm, then she also vanished into the dusk. We're leaving that gate open, for now, so wildlife can come and go. The two bucks discovered it, not long after the bears.

  "how thoughtful", I imagine they said ...

"They love to play and shout, they never have any cares. At 6 o'clock their mommies and daddies will take them home to bed...."-T. B. Picnic song (excerpt) 

 I knew they were here, because they rang the front doorbell. They take turns standing on the front steps, chewing at the hibiscus. So incredibly happy, when they wagged their tails, off went the motion sensor. Wag wag/Ring ring. Over and over. 

  Really funny, unless it's the wee hours of the morning. Wag wag/Ring ring.

"Bears are made of the same dust as we, and they breathe the same winds and drink of the same waters..." -John Muir

 "Cause they're tired little Teddy Bears, if you go down to the woods today, you'd better not go alone. It's safer to stay at home. For every bear that ever was, will gather there for certain because, today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic..." -T.B. Picnic song

                                    

                                 ( Chomp/Yum Yum and d'Artagnon, the visiting cat.)

Photographs 2025