The bear wondered upon the sunlit blacktop seeking the sweet fragrance of apples, pears and plums.
The bear sauntered along the pathway, curious in her relaxed way. She brought the consciousness of the forest with her, the intelligence nature has. In the early light of the day her fur was the colour of seasoned acorns and her eyes were both black and bright.
The bear on hind legs was taller than any man and he swayed this way and that as he watched us. He reminded me of my Grandpa waking after a nap, his brain active in its steady way and his feet planted firmly on the ground. If he could talk, this bear, I wonder if he would have a voice similar to the caterpillar of Alice in Wonderland, "Who... are... you?"
The mama bear was a model of patience with her cubs as they played. They tumbled over her as if she were a playground, enjoying both the warmth of the sunlight and their mother. And this is how they passed the day, in blissful serenity, with the sound of water and birds, far away from the clocks that ticked and the cars that scurried.