The wind blew through the trees. In
the case of those with a few yellow leaves left, it tossed those yellow leaves
and more of them fell to the ground. Alders don’t make much of a fall display,
but they do what they can. Maples just outside the Great Forest turn a brighter
yellow, but those leaves also gave up, falling and twirling downward. The earth
was dotted with yellow fallen leaves.
A chilly rain splattered down. The sky was gray and low. It would have been a nice day to be inside by a fire, with curtains closed and something tasty somewhere out in the kitchen smelling wonderfully savory. Maybe some oven baked chicken and a spicy pumpkin pie.
After her exciting morning meeting Thaga, Ooog, and Harold the cat, Minnie the young lady black bear felt a bit thirsty. The breakfast of whole wheat bread, and nut pie sat very well in her tummy but now she needed a drink.
Taking a bear-like wandering path, Minnie wandered to the little creek she remembered located between the stone cottage and the dirt road. She shoved her way down the bank through berry vines and salal plants and grass and this and that to the water’s edge and had a good long drink. That felt much better.
The days are so short in October, especially if it’s a gray low day. It feels like night in the afternoon. All that Minnie knew was that it was getting dark soon and she wanted to have a little nap. There was no nice warm bed in the offing, so she had to take her chances with the forest. But, since bears sleep in the forest all the time, she was fine in a little nest place under some saplings.
As she slept, deep in her ursine little heart and brain, she began to receive a message. It spoke of a sweetness beyond her comprehension. She woke. She smelled something on the breeze. You know how it is with bears. Hesitation is not in their software.
The beguiling scent was coming from the direction of the little dirt road where Marge’s mom and stepdad lived. There were small houses dotted all along the road all the way to the paved highway. There were maybe about 8 front doors, porch lights on, and some were decorated with Jack-o-lanterns and such.
Minnie waddled out to the road. The scent was stronger there.
Coming the other direction, heading towards Minnie, were three small humans in colorful garb of orange and black, and strange face paint. Minnie thought nothing of that. Her nose told her that the source of the delicious odor emanated from bags in their hands. She advanced. She was noticed.
“What’s that down the road,” said a small girl’s voice.
“I don’t see anything,” said a boy’s voice.
“Well, I do!” said another little girl’s voice.
“It’s a bear! I see a bear!” said the first girl. “We have to run!” And run they did back the way they had come from, dropping their bags on the road in their panic.
Well, what could Minnie do? It wasn’t exactly like thievery; it was more like finding treasure trove. A goldmine right there in the road. She sat on her rump and ate a good five pounds of Mounds bars, Reese’s cups, and Hershey bars. It was wonderful.
Minnie was the happiest bear in the whole forest that night.
Later when the children all returned home empty handed, one set of parents thought the children must have panicked over nothing, maybe dog or something. A second set of parents suspected a plot by older children to steal the younger one’s goodies.
The third set of parents told their girl that she was probably right that it was most likely a black bear who had smelled their candy and that they had done right to leave the area, and that dropping the bags had kept the bear from following them.
Of course, Minnie didn’t unwrap her candies, so she had a bit of indigestion the next day.
The last day of October was the most interesting day she had ever experienced.
So, if you find yourself walking a dark road some night near the Great Forest carrying a bag of goodies, look out for Minnie, now that she has tasted sugar!
A chilly rain splattered down. The sky was gray and low. It would have been a nice day to be inside by a fire, with curtains closed and something tasty somewhere out in the kitchen smelling wonderfully savory. Maybe some oven baked chicken and a spicy pumpkin pie.
After her exciting morning meeting Thaga, Ooog, and Harold the cat, Minnie the young lady black bear felt a bit thirsty. The breakfast of whole wheat bread, and nut pie sat very well in her tummy but now she needed a drink.
Taking a bear-like wandering path, Minnie wandered to the little creek she remembered located between the stone cottage and the dirt road. She shoved her way down the bank through berry vines and salal plants and grass and this and that to the water’s edge and had a good long drink. That felt much better.
The days are so short in October, especially if it’s a gray low day. It feels like night in the afternoon. All that Minnie knew was that it was getting dark soon and she wanted to have a little nap. There was no nice warm bed in the offing, so she had to take her chances with the forest. But, since bears sleep in the forest all the time, she was fine in a little nest place under some saplings.
As she slept, deep in her ursine little heart and brain, she began to receive a message. It spoke of a sweetness beyond her comprehension. She woke. She smelled something on the breeze. You know how it is with bears. Hesitation is not in their software.
The beguiling scent was coming from the direction of the little dirt road where Marge’s mom and stepdad lived. There were small houses dotted all along the road all the way to the paved highway. There were maybe about 8 front doors, porch lights on, and some were decorated with Jack-o-lanterns and such.
Minnie waddled out to the road. The scent was stronger there.
Coming the other direction, heading towards Minnie, were three small humans in colorful garb of orange and black, and strange face paint. Minnie thought nothing of that. Her nose told her that the source of the delicious odor emanated from bags in their hands. She advanced. She was noticed.
“What’s that down the road,” said a small girl’s voice.
“I don’t see anything,” said a boy’s voice.
“Well, I do!” said another little girl’s voice.
“It’s a bear! I see a bear!” said the first girl. “We have to run!” And run they did back the way they had come from, dropping their bags on the road in their panic.
Well, what could Minnie do? It wasn’t exactly like thievery; it was more like finding treasure trove. A goldmine right there in the road. She sat on her rump and ate a good five pounds of Mounds bars, Reese’s cups, and Hershey bars. It was wonderful.
Minnie was the happiest bear in the whole forest that night.
Later when the children all returned home empty handed, one set of parents thought the children must have panicked over nothing, maybe dog or something. A second set of parents suspected a plot by older children to steal the younger one’s goodies.
The third set of parents told their girl that she was probably right that it was most likely a black bear who had smelled their candy and that they had done right to leave the area, and that dropping the bags had kept the bear from following them.
Of course, Minnie didn’t unwrap her candies, so she had a bit of indigestion the next day.
The last day of October was the most interesting day she had ever experienced.
So, if you find yourself walking a dark road some night near the Great Forest carrying a bag of goodies, look out for Minnie, now that she has tasted sugar!
🤎
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