Fuzzy bear

About the title: This is NOT about the Muppets' master comedian, Fozzie Bear. ("Wocka, wocka!")

This is about my latest little photographic escapade, which took place Wednesday afternoon. I have other news to tell you and photos to show, but since I have intrigued you with that title, I should lead off with that.

It happened during our same old trip to the same old destination on the same old road. We like that road because (A) it is much more level than the main road there, even if it is a Wisconsin state highway; and (B) it's a less populated, more natural area and a narrower road, so the prospects of seeing wildlife are better.

(FYI: Somewhere in that region many years ago, my mom and dad saw a cougar--it raced across the road ahead of them, but they both got a good look.)

Usually, my wildlife sightings here involve deer and surly turtles ...


On Wednesday at about 3 p.m., we were driving east when we saw a roundish dark shape moving across the road ahead of us. We realized what it was right away--a black bear. I started braking to get a picture, but the bear ambled off the road and into the woods. I stopped where he left the road and looked into the woods.

There he was, about 50 yards away. Just standing there, looking back at me.

By then, I had the camera out, the autofocus went to work, and I started snapping pictures from behind the wheel. Then I cautiously slipped out of the seat and crouched next to the car.

At about that time, a truck pulled up alongside. Someone from the Forest Service, curious to know why a eastbound car had pulled onto the shoulder on the westbound side of the road.

"There's a bear back there," I said. I tried to say it quietly, but the bear immediately turned and started loping away. In a second or two, he was gone.

Well, I had gotten a few pictures, at least. But when I got a chance to look at them, I saw something had gone wrong ...


The problem was obvious: The autofocus had locked onto the tree branches between him and me--but the bear was some distance behind those branches and so was out of focus. You can see the shape, but that's about all. Aren't the branches nice and sharp, though?

You see, I'm using my new camera, and I'm still a little unfamiliar with some of the features. If I had known it better (and had thought a little faster), I could have switched the lens from autofocus to manual focus, and then I would have been able to get the super sharp shot of the bruin I wanted.

Chalk it up to experience.

That's not the first time I have gotten a picture of a bear. In 2004, while driving my mom to visit her sister-in-law in the Twin Cities, I got this shot about 15 miles south of my mom's place ...


Last year, I got this picture of some bears crossing my father-in-law's property. They were posing so nice for me! And they do that every time we visit.


Then there was the bear that David fed at that wildlife park last summer ...


So I'm sure I'll get another chance at a bear someday. When it comes, I hope I'll be more ready than I was this week.

****
As you may know, I've been worried lately about the extremely dry spring weather we have been having. Other parts of the Midwest are battling floods, and we're high and dry.

It's eased a little bit. On Monday afternoon, while driving my wife on an errand, we ran into a little shower that was strong enough for me to switch on the intermittent wipers. Then, early Wednesday morning, we had some overnight rain that got the growing things going. It's still too dry here, but things are going in the right direction. The tree buds are starting to open, the leaves are popping up all over, and soon we will have flowers.

During our drive Wednesday (before and after the encounter with the bear), we saw the first trilliums of the year. I love trilliums. First of all, they are pretty flowers, but more importantly, they are the first flowers that bloom in the woods in spring: proof that winter is over.

I had promised some trillium pictures to S, so I hopped out to record the sight. Here are a few ...






One more update: the visitor on our front porch. Last week, we noticed Mrs. Robin had stepped out, so we got the chair, mirror and camera out to take a look. (If you don't know the procedure: I stand on the chair, hold the mirror in my left hand, point the camera at the mirror with the right hand and fire.)

Here is what the camera saw ...


We looked again yesterday, but nothing had changed. All three eggs are still beautiful, blue and unhatched. But we're keeping an eye on things. Our experience from last year tells me it shouldn't be long.