Friday, December 14, 2012
FOCUS ON NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT
Blessings and Bear hugs from Canadian friends (human and ursine) in the wake of the horrid tragedy in Newtown. That's about all we can do, but it is the one thing we can do.
~ Bear
Monday, December 3, 2012
IN WHICH BEAR GETS "BOUNCED," AND SUFFERS ONGOING PROBLEMS
To Begin at the Beginning
The story is told (by A. A. Milne) of how a Strange Creature arrived one day at the Hundred Acre Wood. The "Forest" was the home of Pooh Bear, Piglet, Eeyore, and many others. The Strange Creature turned out to be Tigger, a Tiger, who was a friend of Christopher Robin.
Having a Tigger was not such a problem, except for one thing. Tigger was very Bouncy. And that disturbed the other characters in the Forest, particularly Rabbit. (In fact, Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet developed a plan to Unbounce Tigger — it didn't work.)
All this is preface to my experience of being Bounced, as surely as if Tigger had landed on my bed first thing in the morning.
There was a meeting of the Animal Research Ethics Board last Wednesday at the University. The Board needs a couple of Community Representatives when it is going about its work. It's a matter of Transparency and Accountability — which are both Very Important Things. And, well, yes . . . I needed to be there. This, just after I had finally settled into Hibernation mode. And, well, yes . . . I got a reminder. The "ping" on my e-mail program woke me with a start; that's always unsettling! And, well, yes . . . I did go to the meeting (though I warned them at the outset that I was a tired and grouchy Bear).
Anyhow, we accomplished what we needed to, and that was good. I came home. I though I would fall back into Hibernation mode. I did not. I could not. I . . . um . . . ah . . . had been well and truly Bounced.
Now it is almost a week later, and my heart rate and breathing rate are nowhere close to Hibernation levels. Woe is me! I toss and turn, and am not comfortable.
Meanwhile, . . .
The situation has not been a total loss. Someone came along and painted the whole scene outside with hoar frost. Rather like a faerie wonderland.
All quite nice, actually.
Then yesterday, and overnight, it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. And the river, already full of ice, almost froze over.
Yes, the scenery is delightfully wintry.
But I'm stil not back to Hibernating!
Sigh!
Blessings and Bear Hugs, friends.
The story is told (by A. A. Milne) of how a Strange Creature arrived one day at the Hundred Acre Wood. The "Forest" was the home of Pooh Bear, Piglet, Eeyore, and many others. The Strange Creature turned out to be Tigger, a Tiger, who was a friend of Christopher Robin.
Having a Tigger was not such a problem, except for one thing. Tigger was very Bouncy. And that disturbed the other characters in the Forest, particularly Rabbit. (In fact, Rabbit, Pooh, and Piglet developed a plan to Unbounce Tigger — it didn't work.)
All this is preface to my experience of being Bounced, as surely as if Tigger had landed on my bed first thing in the morning.
There was a meeting of the Animal Research Ethics Board last Wednesday at the University. The Board needs a couple of Community Representatives when it is going about its work. It's a matter of Transparency and Accountability — which are both Very Important Things. And, well, yes . . . I needed to be there. This, just after I had finally settled into Hibernation mode. And, well, yes . . . I got a reminder. The "ping" on my e-mail program woke me with a start; that's always unsettling! And, well, yes . . . I did go to the meeting (though I warned them at the outset that I was a tired and grouchy Bear).
Anyhow, we accomplished what we needed to, and that was good. I came home. I though I would fall back into Hibernation mode. I did not. I could not. I . . . um . . . ah . . . had been well and truly Bounced.
Now it is almost a week later, and my heart rate and breathing rate are nowhere close to Hibernation levels. Woe is me! I toss and turn, and am not comfortable.
Meanwhile, . . .
The situation has not been a total loss. Someone came along and painted the whole scene outside with hoar frost. Rather like a faerie wonderland.
All quite nice, actually.
Then yesterday, and overnight, it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. And the river, already full of ice, almost froze over.
Yes, the scenery is delightfully wintry.
But I'm stil not back to Hibernating!
Sigh!
Blessings and Bear Hugs, friends.
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