The Brown Bear

 

 

Dear Reader, 

In North America the brown bears are called grizzly bears.  This bear is often described as nocturnal but it frequently seems to peak in activity in the morning or early evening.  In summer the brown bear can double it weight, gaining up to 180 kg of fat which it relies on to make it through to the winter when it becomes very lethargic.  Although they are not full hibernators and can be woken easily both sexes like to den in a protected spot during the winter months.  This species is mostly solitary and adult males are particularly aggressive so are avoided by adolescent males, both at concentrated feeding opportunities and any chance encounter.  During combat bears use their paws to strike their opponents in the chest or shoulders and bite the head and neck.  Males take no part in raising the cubs, parenting is left entirely to the females.

I had always imagined that bears were kindly and friendly but I suppose that is because we think of teddy bears rather than the large aggressive real ones found in forests and lonely wild places.  And the teddy bears picnic ditty, of course, makes those bears just like us!

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From Dorothy Wordsworth, October 3rd, 1800 in Westmorland

'A very rainy morning.  We walked after dinner to observe the torrents....the lichens are now coming out afresh, I carried home a collection in the afternoon.  We had a pleasant conversation about manners of the rich - avarice, inordinate desires, and the effeminacy, unnaturalness, and the unworthy objects of education....a showery evening.  The moonlight lay upon the hills like snow.'

Plus ca change.

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The Brown Bear

lies on the floor,
the rocking chair still,
the house mute,
the children gone.

Three months of silence,
as boarding school houses my children,
the woman thinks.
How will I endure the emptiness,
the ache of missing them,
not being of comfort?

She sees the bear's blue jersey
is torn, has large holes in it,
like the large holes in her heart.
She picks up the bear,
holds him tight,
pours herself another drink.

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If you enjoy my blog why not try my book?  It is called:   "Half a Pair of People" and can be bought on Amazon in books under my name:  Patrica Huth.  Lots of people have found it funny, you might too.

Best wishes, Patrica