The Black Bear

The Black Bear. The scamp of the forest.

Were I ever to find the discipline to sit down and scrawl out a book, the chapter on these goofballs would be a lengthy and humorous one.

There’s the Skittle Bear that wouldn’t share.

The mating pair that shook the lodge for 20 minutes while making love on the deck.

The large Boar that nudged open the door of the lodge, walked in, and the door closed behind it while I was in the loft napping.

Climbing a birch tree to rescue an orphaned cub that didn’t want to be rescued.

The two blackies that had me treed when I went to claim a ton of horse feed that had just been flown in.

Wrapping up in the hide of one while waiting for daylight high up on a mountain side when the chase ended after dark.

…and so many other stories with these creatures.

My body still bears the scars from a couple of incidents with these curious critters from many years ago.

In my 50-year journey through the mountains, they’ve made life interesting and entertaining.

I can’t imagine life out there without them keeping me company and being a part of it.