Well, the rest of the country is celebrating Groundhog Day, but I’m celebrating Bear Day. While I was driving home from school today, I saw a bear! I came around a bend on a winding, narrow road, and there, just ahead of me, stood a big, black shape. I knew it was a bear — I didn’t even think it might be a big dog. Nothing else is that color black. It was just really, really black, and beautiful, and wild, and man, was I glad I was in my car. Before I could get a good look, it was gone. Just gone.
When I got up to the spot where it had been, I slowed and looked hard, reaching for my camera, but there was no sign of it. Far down below, a stream crossed under the road in a large culvert. I suspect the bear had been following the water. When the stream disappeared into the culvert, the bear was forced up and over the road. Somewhere in the woods below, the bear was still probably heading downstream.
It seems early for bears to be out of hibernation, but in the last few days, I have been seeing raccoons and smelling skunks, so I assume bears are waking and rambling about, too. This means I probably should bring in my bird feeders, but I really don’t want to do that yet. This bear was miles from my house. The ones who live around me are still sleeping. I’m certain of it. Yup.
It was cloudy, so the bear didn’t see its shadow. I wonder what that means for the rest of the winter?
Probably absolutely nothing.