Fellow Travelers

The coyotes are vigorously carrying on tonight. Hope they are just as vigilant in their endeavors inside of me, ferreting out any cancer cells hidden away in the far reaches of my body. I had another visit from the bear today, and I now am almost positive that I have two young bears, not one. At first I dismissed the weight differences since the facial markings never changed. But Ben Kilham, the black bear expert, explained last Saturday night how cubs from the same litter may have the exact same markings. I have been watching and recollecting in more detail. And yes, I think I have two bears. One is bigger than the other, not just weight wise, but its head is larger and so are the paws. It also has extra white on the lower belly area. This may be a male. The other has a smaller head but bigger ears and smaller paws, any only white on the chest area. What is helpful to observe their markings is when the rascals climb up the birches in my yard, spread eagle like as the chimmy up between two adjacent birches. These antics are all to reach the bird feeders, which most often are empty, but are religously checked anyway by both bears. They also stretch up the trees higher now to make claw marks. Ben Kilham says this is not only to mark their territory, but to release smells from the bark that attracts other bears. Oh, boy.

So the coyotes and bears are well. and I am entranced with their wildness and thier distinct behavior. The coyotes talk to each other, and sometimes seem to yip directions and wail for others. I need to pay more attention to them to understand them better. I have been primarily focused on the bears. They bears have included me into their realm unconditionally, it seems. I can sit on the back step and the bear watches me until I speak, then relaxes, sighs, and continues doing whatever it was doing near me. Yesterday I was staining the porch. I heard a sighing right beside me, turned, and there was the bear eating a grub not three feet from me. We both looked astonished at each other, I spoke, and then we both went about our business: me staining the trim of the porch windows rose pink, and the bear extracting a grub from a leaf. A special feeling these encounters with the bear/s have been for me. Wish people were as easy to get along with as bears.

And so, another day passes into evening and I feel healthy; but deep inside, I know the battle rages on. I am grateful for this time with the forest life and the company of good friends. I am grateful to be able to get up in the morning and not know what may present itself, but know it will be something new and probably quite fascinating. and outside of this healing place, the world goes on. The astronauts couldn't come down this morning, perhaps tomorrow, god willing. Peter Jennings passed on and I am sorry. He was an acquaintance whom I respected, and when he came down with cancer, a fellow traveler fighting to live one more moment. I will miss his courage and understanding.