We’ve been camping.  

We tried out a new to us provincial park, travelling a little further north than we have been in the past, to Grundy Lake Provincial Park.  It is lovely. The campsites are wooded. The ground is sandy, which means there is sand everywhere, feet, dogs, floor, bedding, dogs, towels, dogs.  The facilities are clean.  The views are fabulous.  Lots of wildlife: birds, chipmunks, red squirrels, loons (yes, loons are birds but they require a special mention)… oh, and a black bear. 

I previously, and erroneously, thought that bear sightings happened in the dawn/twillighty times of day.  Definitely an erroneous thought.  We had a mid-afternoon casually wandering bear.  It would saunter through the camp ground sniffing out the careless and the stupid.  People who have foolishly believed that if they have left food temptations out during daylight hours, they are safe, in spite of the, “You are in bear country” warnings.  The trail of the bear was easy to follow by the gathering of the panic and bewildered, speaking and gesturing in exclamations, and the sounds of car horns going off.  

Not seeing any reason for the panic, the kids, the dogs, and I watched the bear meander past the window of our trailer.  We watched as two of our neighbours rapidly packed up and left.  We listened as the sounds of car alarms being triggered faded into the distance.  All kinds of fuss for a casually wandering bear.