Last Sunday morning, just as the morning light was defining its colors, I stepped out of my cabin to pee under the last bits of stars. Its so quiet that time of morning, the birds haven’t woken yet and the fresh air fills your lungs with that morning smell of cedar woods and alders.
I stood there looking up at the stars loving the color of the sky, when I looked right and saw about 30 yards from me, a small bear standing on one side of the road, his nose sticking out of the brush leaning forward, sniffing while looking at a Raccoon who was sniffing the air back at him and looking back at him. Iv seen this Raccoon before, hes not like the city raccoons, hes skinny, slender, muscular. Direct with his actions and very cautious of me. The Bear, first time Iv seen him (or her) that close. They didn’t look at me at all, they were facing each other having some sort of visual discussion. Maybe territory, maybe just a morning greeting, it was not aggressive or even determined in some sort of way.
I finished my business quietly. I moved back to my door not wanting them to notice me at all. I stepped up into my door and watched them for another minute ,
The Raccoon washed his hands while he sat, the bear had sat down, He looked my way, sniffed the air, then turned into the woods.
Transit Transients and Other Stories 