Bear Necessities

 

After failing to video the bear we saw briefly on the Biltmore Estate, just a couple of days later we were riding around North Asheville, in a community where I do a lot of walking.  It was 7:30 in the evening.  Just as we started driving up into the community, Kade commented that this time she'd have her camera ready.  I laughed.  A few minutes later, as we were driving up Reynolds Mountain, past some beautiful homes with stunning views, Kade suddenly said, "Look, look, look!"  To the right, very close to our car, was a momma bear and her two cubs.  Not only did they not get spooked by us, they stayed right in the one spot - on a slope - for a long time.  It's rare to see a bear, and it's even rarer, I think, for them to kind of hang out in one spot for as long as these did.  We put the window down, and did as little as possible to encourage the bears to move on.  That explains our voices, and a bit of our silly talk.  We were just excited!  Interestingly, the exact evening we filmed these bears, within a couple of hours, happened to be three years since my mother died.  She loved animals, and perhaps she was sending me a message!  I certainly thought of her.  Mother was very much like a momma bear, in the sense that she protected her cubs, no questions asked!  And did so no matter what age we were.  You were not coming in between her and her cubs.