Love Bears

Greetings Everyone,

Happy early March 2020! Hope winter was kind thus far. This morning -15 Celsius in Laramie (brrrrr); once again shoveled snow. But skiing is wonderful; have already taught skiing nearly thirty days at Snowy Range. Fun seeing a few of you at last Monday’s Pickleball movie/presentation at Eppson Center – nice group and seemingly recruited a few new players.  Am already working on next Eppson Center movie that I hope to present in May: working title is “The Heart of Adult Education: Curiosity and Adventure (Yellowstone, Galápagos, and Kilimanjaro)”. Looking forward to weaving a bit more adult education into future presentations. This blog though captures another of my interests: photographing bears. Thus far, Susan and I have had the great fortune to experience a wonderful variety of bears (five of the eight species, both in zoos and in their natural environments). We’ll visit Yellowstone again in May and hopefully fortunate enough to see and photograph more Grizzly and Black bears. Why do I love bears? Those bears I have had the wonderful opportunity to experience in the wild possess a rather unique solitary majestic quality of wildness (though mothers do seem to possess an infinite amount of affection and patience while caring for cubs). And, that quality of wildness should be celebrated, as does Lyle Lovett in his tribute to “Bears”  and not destroyed (see lyrics below).

And, in Australia this summer, I hope to photograph some Koala bears (I do realize koalas are marsupials and are not really bears). Also, it seems I have a few potential clients interested in buying and displaying some of my bear photos. So, I’m sharing a few of these photos in this blog. (If you see a photo you like and might want a print let me know). Cheers

Songwriter Lyle Lovett “Bears” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T4SaNuxZO8

Some folks say there ain’t no bears in Arkansas
Some folks never seen a bear at all
Some folks say that bears go around eating babies raw
Some folks got a bear across the hall

Some folks say that bears go around smelling bad
Others say that a bear is honey sweet
Some folks say this bear’s the best I ever had
Some folks got a bear beneath their feet

Some folks drive the bears out of the wilderness
Some to see a bear would pay a fee
Me I just bear up my bewildered best
And some folks even see the bear in me

Some folks drive the bears out of the wilderness
Some to see a bear would pay a fee
Me I just bear up my bewildered best
And some folks even see the bear in me

So meet a bear and take him out to lunch with you
And even though your friends may stop and stare
Just remember that’s a bear there in the bunch with you
And they just don’t come no better than a bear

So meet a bear and take him out to lunch with you
And even though your friends may stop and stare
Just remember that’s a bear there in the bunch with you
And they just don’t come no better than a bear

No they just don’t come no better than a bear

No they just don’t come no better than
No they just don’t come no better than
No they just don’t come no better than a bear

1. Grizzly bear and cub – Togwotee Pass, Wyoming

2. Polar bear – Churchill, Canada

3. Black bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

4. Polar bear Voda and cub (Koda or Nuka) – Denver Zoo, Colorado

5. Black bear cub – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

6. Grizzly bear #399 and cubs – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

7. Male Grizzly bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

8. Polar bear – Churchill, Canada

9. Female Black bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

10. Male Grizzly bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

11. Grizzly bear #399 and cubs – Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

12. Male Grizzly bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

13. Black bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

14. Black bear cub- Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

15. Female Black bear – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

16. Polar bear – Churchill, Canada

17. Male Polar bears sparring – Churchill, Canada

18. Male Polar bears sparring – Churchill, Canada

19. Brown bears fishing for salmon – Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

20. Polar bear resting – Churchill, Canada

21. Brown bear fishing for salmon – Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

22. Male Grizzly bear (black and white photograph) – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

23. Polar bear walking ice field – Churchill, Canada

24. Male Grizzly bear (black and white photograph) – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming