Plantiques in Pennsylvania: The beginning....

January 12, 2010: Pennsylvania “snow belt” winters had been getting the better of me the past few years. I love my rural home and all the wildlife, but with no family and no neighbors, it becomes lonely even for a self-confessed hermit! Short, cold days; long, colder nights… Seasonal Affective Disorder seemed to be finding its way into my life. Then came the Lily Den Cam.

I heard about the den cam on the NBC Today show. I'd watched an eagle cam the prior year that kept me in rapt(or) amazement... so I was quickly "all in" on a den cam. I began staying up much later than what was "normal" for me, and when I finally went to bed, it was in the guest room with my laptop, cell phone set to receive SMS updates, and one or two cats by my side (poor hubby … had to leave him in the other room so he could get some sleep!!). I watched for more than a week prior to Lily giving birth and remember being terribly concerned that she'd had a 'still birth' on January 20th. From that time on, I found it hard to sleep at all, it was so apparent that SOMETHING was going on. During the day, my computer moved into the living room and was streaming the den cam constantly. I quickly learned how to use the Win7 split screen feature on my laptop, so I could try to keep up with the rest of my life but not miss a minute of the den cam broadcast! Poor Lily would have been scared out of her mind if she’d been able to see me running through the house in my PJ‘s, jumping and stretching to hit the “refresh” button within the 30-second interval lest I lose my connection and get stuck watching Ringo!!

My days and nights became filled with an international group of stranger-friends, sharing sheer wonder at the events unfolding in a remote den, a world away from me. But it could have been in my neighborhood, where black bear are common and thriving. The saga that was the Lily den cam, the birth of her cub, the sights and sounds that followed … I had no time to be SAD, but I was certainly affected. And amazed ~ at myself, that I could develop such close, loving friendships with strangers, linked by a computer and a bear; Amazed that a bear cub would sound like a human baby; amazed at the emotions I experienced watching loving Lily care for that baby; amazed that winter passed so quickly and without SADness…

Months after Hope was born, lying in bed one night (without the computer or cell phone), I heard what I thought was Hope, crying. I told myself I was dreaming, or hearing things. On a few subsequent nights, I was awakened by the same sounds. Suddenly, it dawned on me. Family break-up. There was a bear cub in the woods, undoubtedly afraid and alone. My suspicions were confirmed when I found a scrawny, matted little cub in my garden one morning.

After chasing him out twice in as many days, I decided to put some food out as a diversion, hoping he would leave the garden alone. First, some corn (because that was what I had for deer), then sunflower seeds (because I learned they were a favorite snack for the bears at VSWS). I was able to determine the cub was a boy, and nicknamed him “Bud”. I didn’t see him every day, which I knew was a good thing. There are a lot of natural foods here in the woods. But I was thrilled each time Bud came around, and tempted him with an occasional pineapple core, and even some Almond Milk which he loved and lapped up like a big dog … like I imagined Hope would lap the formula that was sustaining her during her separation from her Mama Lily.

Some weeks later, I noticed something odd. Bud looked different. He had no real identifying marks, but there was something that didn’t make sense. His “table manners” were different, he was more skittish. Then I realized … there were two. Somewhere along the line, a second cub had ‘found’ the feeding rock. This cub was a bit larger, and a female. She was dubbed “Wiser”.

Bud and Wiser visited from time to time, but neither went into the garden again. Wiser was easily distinguished by a mark near her eye, like a mole or beauty mark, I thought. I have had bears around me ever since I moved here 20 years ago, but this year was different ~ special. My fears had mellowed because of the education I’d received compliments of Dr. Lynn Rogers, Sue Mansfield, the WRI and NABC. I respect and fully appreciate the wild nature of these beautiful creatures, and want them to remain wild and free. I also wanted to take their pictures, and I did. Hundreds of them.

I last saw Wiser in early October. She came into the back yard to help herself to my Halloween corn stalk decorations. I guess the natural food supply had waned considerably. Wiser just watched me watching her, hanging out the bedroom window with my camera clicking away. …

If the spirits bless me, I will see her again next year. I hope she has the same beauty mark, so I can easily recognize her. I don’t know for certain that I’ll be able to identify Bud if he stops by again. I hope so. Maybe if I put out some Almond Milk???!!!

But my story doesn’t end there. As a matter of fact, it has barely (bearly?) begun. Thus far, I have had the opportunity to meet only one of the special bear friends I made during the past 10 months. But I know I will meet more in the months and years to come. Some “Lily Friends” are within reasonable driving distance so small gatherings are a possibility. Then there is the LilyPad Picnic 2011; I plan to attend and meet many, many more. Yep, I’ll take pictures. Probably, hundreds…

8.12.2011 ~ I have indeed been blessed. Thousands of photographs and one LilyPad Picnic attendance later, my journey, still, has only begun♥