Thursday, November 13, 2008

Et encore, au revoir

In October of 1998, the Red Sox lived up to our expectations, but not our hopes, and bowed out in the division series, and the enemy Yankees won it all, again. We were not to know that young Leo would not grow up with the same sense of futility that plagued generations of baseball-loving bears, who were always certain that the ultimate loss was looming somewhere ahead. (East Coast bears are nearly all Sox fans,though there are a few who cheer for the Phillies. In the Midwest, Cubs fans naturally predominate. For them, the futility persists as of this writing.) But I digress.
With baseball season behind us, the time had come for my farewells; there was no longer a need for television access, (except on Sundays, and Monday nights) and my journey lay ahead. Mum baked some supplies for the road, and I found myself once more bidding good bye to loved ones and setting forth for a look at the world.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Last minute preparations

















I lingered at Mum's through the baseball playoffs. I couldn't pass up a trip to the market for pumpkins and gourds and apple pie. I worked in the gardens, and helped young Leo with his studies ( what was Ted Williams lifetime batting average? when did Yaz win baseball's triple crown? - essentials a New England bear should know.) I absorbed as much of Mum's knowledge as I could - she had travelled extensively in her youth - and continued my exhausting training routines. I bought clothing for all climates.












Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Wisdom




My Mum was helpful and supportive. As Ellie had left her cub in her care for some time,she asked me to instruct young Leo in his tree climbing, and then we sat on the porch while she Dispensed Advice.





You mustn't live solely on donuts you know," she told me, rather as I suppose your Mum has told you. "A young and active bear needs plenty of pizza, and you can never eat too many fried clams either. And stay away from brussels sprouts if you know what's good for you. Too many cruciferous vegetables will dull your mind." And then she reminded me to always dress appropriately, and to be kind to animals, and to call home often, but not during Red Sox games, or televised football. She provided me with addresses and telephone numbers of Boyds and Bears all over North America, and told me which ones were to be depended upon and which ones were "a little odd." She warned me about Auntie Maisie Bearington's pomegranate and rice fudge, and asked me to let her know immediately if I ran into Great Uncle Leon Leonwood, and then we ordered Chinese take-out and listened to the baseball play-offs, and then settled in for a good night's sleep.




































































Sunday, November 9, 2008

Mum's house











It is a matter of course that a bear, at the outset of an undertaking of some note, will check in with his Mum. My own Mum lives in the Connecticut River Valley, so I headed east out of the Berkshires; I was fortunate enough to get a ride from Great Barrington to Springfield, and with a bit of a hike from there I arrived at her house to find her tending her garden and babysitting for my young nephew.




Out of the hills







Although I had hoped to see some of my family and friends, I knew I needed to move on before I succumbed to drowsiness and the urge to stop in for the winter. I had another visit planned, so I packed my bags and headed down from the mountains; I naturally made a brief foray for provisions on my way through town.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

On bears and literacy










I spent the following days hiking in the area , pausing for snacks on the old stone walls. I was on the lookout for indigenous uncultured bears, who sometimes take a dim view of my sub-species, but they too must have been preparing for winter. I don't believe they watch much football, but they do seem to appreciate a full larder as much as the rest of us. In the evening I read in the library; my family has long prided itself on a degree of literacy seldom seen in ursine society.

The old homestead



I found myself headed in the general direction of our ancestral home in western Massachusetts. I hoped to see my grandbears and some of my cousins, but soon realized that everyone was out stocking up for a winter of napping and watching football on TV. I signed the guestbook with a note and settled in for a quiet day or two.


Monday, November 3, 2008

Louis Edmund Bear by the "rude bridge that arched the flood" , Concord, Massachusetts



I am compelled to interrupt my narrative


to remind you to


* VOTE *

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Familiar paths

















We meandered through New England, enjoying the fall weather and scenery. I had often travelled this region as a cub, visiting family and friends; my mother was a Boyd, originally from Pennsylvania but transplanted generations ago to the Massachusetts Berkshires. Bears and Boyds are scattered throughout the northeast, and occasionally they hold family reunions, which frequently involve large amounts of pizza and so are memorable to impressionable youngsters.














Au revoir



Autumn was fast approaching and I didn't want to get swept up in the inertia cool weather brings for bears in New England, so I knew the time for my departure was at paw. I gave my notice to LLBean, said my fond farewells to LLBear, and found a ride south with friends.


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Conditioning for Bears










I purchased a pair of hiking boots and began my conditioning. It was possible that I would have to walk a great deal during my travels, and I felt it best to train for that eventuality. I ate a lot of donuts as well, so as not to become sickly and weak. Donuts with pink strawberry frosting are best for workouts, but one can manage quite well with chocolate frosting, or even toasted coconut. A caramel iced latte on the side is also helpful, unless it is chilly, in which case hot coffee is preferable. I threw myself into this intensive regimen with enthusiasm, aware that these preparations could be crucial to the success of my mission.






Tuesday, October 28, 2008

And more lucre















I had some success conducting sightseeing trips to the Boothbay Harbor region, finding that tourists were delighted to be guided by a native downeaster. I also received generous gratuities for featuring in numerous photo shoots, as I clearly typified the local residents; I was pleased to represent a proud Maine tradition.

Lucre



















I spent my spare time working on the docks with the lobstermen in Freeport Harbor. it was demanding labor, but I was determined to amass funds for my odyssey.











Monday, October 27, 2008

The Dreams of Youth


In 1998 my cousin LLBear and I worked in the kayak department of the LLBean store in Freeport, Maine.* There I met people - humans mostly - from everywhere imaginable, places with wonderful and exotic names : St. Louis, Louisville, Bay Saint Louis, Edmonton - surely these must be splendid and sophisticated locales. Like many bears before me I became obsessed with a quest for travel and enlightenment, though I worried about the details: Were there Dunkin Donuts in far-flung cities? Good Yankee pizza? Maple syrup? Provenders of clothing for dashing young bears? Not to mention accounts and broadcasts of the New England sports teams dear to my heart?
But I persisted even in the face of these worries, saving money and studying maps, gathering information and planning - what? - a journey into the great unknown.
* You will notice a similarity between the names of the Bears and the Beans, as well as a long established working relationship. We are said to be distant cousins, although the family history is somewhat vague on this point.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Modest Introduction


I was, until recently, ensconced comfortably on a networking site, whence I communed with the larger society and realized the extent of the influence of bears in the workings of the world. There are, however, latent prejudices, and I found myself administrated out of existence, solely because of my species, and there I was, a lone bear adrift in cyberspace...I knew the time had come to take a stand, so here I present the intricacies of my life and times, with a hope that others will be inspired to follow in my pawprints.

I am a rather ordinary bear. I grew up in the woods surrounding Penobscot Bay, worked at LLBean in Freeport for a time, followed the Boston Red Sox, enjoyed fried clams and pizza, and pursued other various interests common among New Englanders of any ilk. In time, however, I felt a need to see a bit more of the world, develop new talents, cultivate new alliances, and perhaps expand my wardrobe, so I set out for parts unknown, open to a new adventure.