Thursday, March 22, 2012

HOW MUCH DOES A BEAR HAVE TO BEAR?

I woke up unhappily this morning. The sky was dark, overcast. The weather report said a good chance of freezing rain. Which will make life slippery under paw.

So, I thought I would turn to the wit and wisdom of my friends.

I started with A Lady's Life: Oh-oh! And what did I see? Someone giving us Brown Bears a bad rap!

Fortunately, I don't know where the "Lady" lives. Otherwise, she would breakfast!

Here is some important news about Brown Bears.
1. We love it when hikers wear their "dinner bells." Makes it easy for us to find our next meal.
2. Our favorite spice? Pepper.

Chow for now. Ciao for niao.

Oh, yeah. Blessings and Bear "hugs."

22 comments:

Chatty Crone said...

I am not going to wear any bells around you. sandie

Rob-bear said...

I received a note from lgsquirrel about this post. Sadly, it ran afoul of my iPad. (That iPad's days are numbered!)

"I am not too happy about the "squirrel fur" in bear dung either."

Sadly, squirrel, i understand your problem. Some of us Bears are vegetarians, and some of us are omnivores. I extend my condolences to you on any family members who became Bear meals.

® Chatty Crone: A good idea on your part. I try not to eat blogging friends, so I appreciate your assistance in this.

ReformingGeek said...

Be careful. Pepper may make you sneeze.

Achoo!

Get some crampons for your paws!

Manzanita said...

Dear Bear.... Hope the Bear Body is feeling well, even if it is a dull gray day. Only a few chemtrails here today so I'm catching some vit. D. Thank you Putin.

Once husband and I took a cruise to Alaska and pre-trip, I was reading a book about how your bear-cohort grizzlies do like to sample us humans.
I thought this is a cruise and I won't be wandering around in bear country.
We had one of those going-ashore trips over a glacier and it was rainy. They provided raincoats but everyone in my group was quitting and going back to the bus. I was enjoying the rainy walk and continued on alone. OMG.... suddenly I knew I was walking all alone in Grizzly territory. I did an about, face and wish I hadn't read that grizzly book. Back to the bus and sweating in that raincoat. You take care, Bear. Love from Manzanita

cheshire wife said...

In medieval times lepers had to wear a bell and cry 'unclean unclean' to indicate their disease state. So be careful what you eat!

Rob-bear said...

® ReformingGeek: Thanks for the thought, reffie, but pepper doesn't bother me like that. It's more like a, well, um . . . aphrodisiac.

My paws are worn well enough that I can get around on ice just fine. And if I fall into the river, I'll still be OK.

® Manzanita: Thanks so much for sharing your story. Glad for your sake the little hike was "uneventful," though you missed the glory of meeting one of us "up close and personal."

Truth is that, nine times out of ten, we Bears are more afraid of you than you are us. Just quietly back away, and you should be fine.

But there is that one time. . . . Especially if the female has cubs.

Bear hugs for you! (Not the crushing kind; really, I'm quite gentle. Usually.)

Rob-bear said...

® cheshire wife: Early on, as cubs, we learn about those lepers. I know a bad meal when I smell one.

However, thanks for the note. Forewarned is forearmed, so to speak.

potsoc said...

I'm sure Bear, Rob that is, would never hurt a fly.

potsoc said...

I'm sure Rob would not hurt a fly.

potsoc said...

I'm sure Bear, Rob that is, would never hurt a fly.

A Lady's Life said...

I love bears, jokes and all. And I love Rob bear the most:)
I am also fighting for the Spirit bears right to live without pipe lines. Wish we could keep them as pets. Probably could if they didn't grow to weigh a ton lol
Maybe if we grew tiny bears?

Rob-bear said...

® potsoc: You're right, Paul. Though if flies were sitting on the meat I'm eating, I'd just consider them additional protein.

® A Lady's Life: First of all, I want you to understand that I represent those remarks you made about us Brown (Grizzley) Bears!
Wait; that's not the right word.
I resemble those. . . .
No, that's not right either.
I know the word I want starts with R, but can I remember?
Sigh!

Those Spirit Bears are actually American Black Bears, with white recessive genes. I don't have a whole lot of good things to say about Black Bears, because they keep encroaching on Brown Bear territory.

That being said, however, I get fairly passionate about any critter being kicked out of its home, or having its home endangered or destroyed — Human, Bear, or anything else. Allowing someone to build a new pipe line from the tar sands to the we(s)t coast would be simply to reward bad behaviour in the tar sands, and reward risky transportation practices.

Save the Bears! No Pipeline!

Please, and thank you.

Frances said...

Hello Bear,

Your editorial committee is great, of that I am sure. It must be other tech-y interventions that have kept me from seeing some of your recent posts.

Good news is that they appeared today. Another sign of spring.

xo

The Blog Fodder said...

So are you a brown bear or a grizzly bear, Bear? Dreary days here too +5 and windy. But Tanya's crocuses are beginning to bloom. Tiny tiny little blossoms so close to the ground.

Jean said...

When I find myself grumbling about Derbyshire weather (cool and foggy this morning) I try to remind myself that some of my blog friends live in places where it is even more unfriendly. Yesterday was very warm and spring-like and the daffodils are making the most of it.

I hope yours warms up soon. Is freezing rain the norm for late March?

Anita said...

I think I need to do some research before I enter "Bear Territory."

In the near future, I'd like to take up hiking. In central Virginia, I wonder if I'll have an encounter with a bear? lol

Rob-bear said...

® Frances: Sorry you've had trouble getting my posts. But, truth be told, things have been a bit weird here.

I've sent the Editorial Committee back to their normal routines, and am firmly re-established.

Thanks for your kindness. I'll soon drop over for a visit.

® Blog Fodder: The Answer to your question is "Yes." Brown Bears are the most widely spread of the Bear species, living across Russia, the US (mostly Alaska), Canada, Scandinavia, the Carpathians (primarily the Ukraine), and elsewhere. The creatures are various subspecies in their areas. The Grizzly lives in Canada and the lower US. The Kodiak lives in Alaska. Etc. We are Bearing up.

Rob-bear said...

® Jean: Weather here has been changeable. Monday, freezing rain and snow. Wednesday, so warm the the snow is all eluting and water is running in the streets. Friday, more snow.

So the word "normal" needs some upgrading. We do get spring storms in March, which are particularly hard on livestock (the cattle are calving in the spring.)

But like the rain and fog in Britain, one gets accustomed to it, or moves. Perhaps to France.

® Anita: Thanks so much for coming and visiting the Bear. Always happy to welcome someone new.

In Virginia, you're likely to met a Black Bear, though they come in various colours, including Brown. (NO; I am not trying to deliberately confuse you.)

Hope to see you again.

Amanda Summer said...

bells and pepper spray? thanks to the lady i never realized there was so much information to be gleaned about bear dung ;-)

Sylvia Ney said...

Hope you are having a better day today.

Inger said...

Hope the Bear is feeling better today. I totally agree with the comment he left on my blog yesterday and I am proud to be his friend. It's rainy and gray here today, so no walks, just some blog visiting with friends.

Helen said...

Did Bear have a good Sunday?