bear play

Thanks to Chris who sent this through - follow this link to see a play session between a polar bear and some husky dogs. http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/audiogallery/soundseen.shtml

In a beautiful book called The Only Kayak - a journey into the heart of Alaska, the author Kim Heacox quotes his beloved friend Japanese photographer Michio Hoshino who says this about bears (more eloquently than I could ever say it):

'If there wasn't a single bear in all of Alaska, I could hike through the mountains with complete peace of mind. I could camp without worry. But what a dull place Alaska would be! Here people share the land with bears. There is a certain wariness between people and bears. And that wariness forces upon us a valuable sense of humility. People continue to tame and subjugate nature. But when we visit the few remaining scraps of wilderness where bears roam free, we can still feel an instinctive fear. How precious that feeling is. And how precious these places, and these bears, are.'

After finishing that book last night I turned off all the lights, opened the curtains and sat in the dark watching the moon come in and out of the clouds and the water turn silver and black. It could take lifetimes to get to know this place.

Jesse xxx