Bear with me

All summer, I've been waiting to see a bear.  There have been plenty of beavers, a few otters, lots of loons, grebes and other assorted birds, but no bears.  We've had reports from others of bear sightings..."we saw one yesterday on that island over there", and ..."we saw one swimming from Pennsylvania Island to Crooked Island last week", and " I saw one on the way into the anchorage today".  But no bears for Mundy.

We arrived in the anchorage inside Crooked Island on Saturday afternoon, to find our intended corner already occupied.  So we dropped anchor in the middle, and Michael took the dinghy to introduce himself to the neighbours.  He came back with news that they had seen a mother and two cubs just the night before, so I was now on bear watch.  Nothing on Saturday night, and nothing on Sunday night, despite my best efforts.

Today, as the neighbours were getting ready to leave, he came over to say goodbye, and tell us that they had seen mum and cubs AGAIN last night.  The secret, he said, was to light the bbq and let it smoke.  They came to investigate the smells.  We moved into their corner after they had gone, and settled into a quiet afternoon on aft deck, listening to the breeze in the trees and the birds chirping.  I thought I saw one, but it turned out to be a rock in the distance.  I swear, that shadow looked just like a little bear profile!

Then, there was a noise in the woods of something moving through the brush.  With binoculars at hand, I started scanning the few openings in the trees that were visible.  A shadow moved through one...a large shadow.  More noise from the bushes as I called to Michael to bring the camera.  And then, there he was...a lovely black bear, intent on making his way across the shoreline.

He didn't stay out in the open for very long, but we caught glimpses of him in the bushes across the bay for the next 20 minutes or so.  Still no cubs evident, so maybe we will still get to see them tonight.  I am planning blackened chicken for dinner!!