Do You Wanna' Dance, and Hold My Hand?

I should probably remember the musical group (rock'n'roll, of course) that did that song, but it was a long time ago, and I was but a tadpole, so to speak. Memory is a funny thing. Sometimes I can't remember what I did last Tuesday. On the other hand, I can remember distinctly playing cards on the living room floor of my cousins' (plural) house the first time I heard the Beatles singing Yellow Submarine on the radio, and laughing hysterically at the songs lyrics. And that was quite a few blue moons ago.
I have always felt a need, upon occasion, to go back to where I came from in order to remember who I am. Confused? It's not too complicated really. As someone once said, how can you know where you are going, if you don't know where you came from? Every now and again I get a little lost along the way. It is not difficult for me to get distracted by the the unimportant things in day to day living, and to be overly concerned with my own minor needs and wants. That's when it's important to look back, and by way of my past, remember who I am and where I'm going. We never really lose that child we were, and it can be the best part of us a good bit of the time.
Anyhow, Eddie and Albert are here to help out as well. They tend to keep me focused, although not always in the way I would like.
At the moment, however, it's only Eddie and I, and Eddie is sleeping in his castle (it's a really big cage). Albert's out dancing in the night time air. But whether he has found someone to hold his hand, only he can say. Whether alone or not, any physical activity he gets is good. You wouldn't believe how much that bear can eat. Trust me. He needs any and all the exercise he can get. And, as most of us do, he'll come home when he's ready. There's always a light burning.    

Shanghai'd

Some of you may wonder where I have been. I'm really not sure. Really! Some people I don't know very well, asked me to go to a tea party. When I entered the building at the address I was given, I was whacked over the head. The next thing I knew, I was in a moving vehicle, blindfolded and tied up.
To make a long story short, I ended up on a farm somewhere in the southwest, someplace hot and dry. Maybe Arizona. Anyway, I ended up working in the fields for what seemed like weeks, but was probably only a matter of days. I finally managed to escape late one night, and I was able to hitch (hitchhike) a ride most of the way back here, from a truck driver.
I had a bit of time on the ride back to think about it what happened to me, and my best guess, is that all those idiotic Republicans and Tea Partiers are getting too successful in keeping out the the illegal immigrants from Mexico. Now, they don't have anyone to work the fields. And of course, they sure don't want to do it themselves. So now they're shanghai'ing whoever they can, including US citizens, like yours truly, to get the work done. Maybe I can get a book deal out of this. How about, "I Was Kidnapped by Rabid Tea Partiers!", for a title?
The truth shall set you free! Hallelujah!!
Anyroad, I'm back. Much has been happening in the world. And as soon as I find out what, I'll probably have something to say about it. Interestingly enough, it seems, that while I was gone, Albert managed to take care of Eddie without eating him. Kind of amazing, actually. Neither one of them seemed to even know I was gone. Show's you how much I'm appreciated around here.
A final note of warning. If I were you, I wouldn't be accepting any invitations to any tea parties, unless they are from VERY good friends. Even then, BE CAREFUL! Those right wing fanatics are lurking everywhere!

It's Every Bear for Himself (or Herself) When the Crick Is Rising

"Crick" is a backwoods (or hillbilly, if you like) form of creek. Another way of saying If God's Willing, is "If the Lord's willing and the crick don't rise". I'm not sure where a creek fits in the size category, compared to brook, stream and river. My guess is that it's a rough and tumble stream, but then my imagination likes to run wild. But for me, the idea of fishing in a creek creates a picture of a bare-foot boy, in a loose shirt and overalls, wearing a big straw hat, and fishing with a long pole, made from a tree branch, with fishing line tied to it.
Anyroad, Albert and I had quite a time fishing down Maine way. We found a nice stretch of river (sorry, don't remember the name) off the beaten path (very little traffic, human or vehicle). Albert did pretty well for awhile, learning how to handle a fishing pole, as well as the worms we used for bait. He was doing so well, that when I went around a bend in the river to look for a better spot to put my line in the water, I wasn't too concerned about losing sight of him. And that's where the trouble came in.
I did find a good spot. And while I was landing a 14 inch rainbow trout, it seems Albert had a run-in with a game warden who was checking fishing licenses, but who wasn't expecting to find a bear in baggy clothes and a floppy hat, who was fishing with a fishing pole. It probably would be more appropriate to say, the game warden, God rest his soul, had a run-in with Albert. Exactly how it all went down (happened), I couldn't tell you. By the time I got there, after first hearing all the growling and yelling, there wasn't much left of that fish and game warden.
So, after making Albert wash up (he was a mess), we got out of there like our tails were on fire. Well, neither one of us has a tail to speak of, but you get the idea.
Needless to say, I don't plan on taking Albert fishing again any time soon. In fact, I don't plan on going back to Maine until a good amount of time has passed. A few years, anyway.
 Might have been better for that game warden if the crick had risen, suddenly and considerably. And definitely, before any of us had arrived.

Gone Fishin'

So, don't come lookin' for me anytime soon. Albert and I are going fishing.
It's always exciting to prepare for a day or two of fishing. It's important to get to bed early, so you can be where the fish are when the sun comes up. For those who aren't familiar with the act of trying to catch fresh water fish, the best time to be casting your line into the water is either when the sun is coming up, or going down. The time in between is for relaxing, and of course, daydreaming.
I can remember when I was much younger, how excited I would get just knowing I was going fishing the next morning. Excited enough, upon occasion, to make sleep itself into a fish that was difficult to catch.
Albert, however, will make this into quite the adventure. His experience of fishing, is a horse of a different color. Being a bear, he is used to using his claws and, pardon my poor rhyming, jaws. So, using a fishing pole will be quite a new experience.
But that's only the half of it. I have a feeling if anyone were to see him riding around in a motor vehicle, we would probably get into a fair amount of trouble. That's where the real preparation comes in. I managed to get a big floppy hat, large plaid shirt, and some large fisherman's overall waders (the kind with suspenders, like farmer's overalls). He's not overjoyed to wear this outfit, but he understands the necessity. And, I rented a van with tinted windows, just to be safe.
Well, there you have it. I think Albert is more excited than I am. I'm not sure either of us will get much sleep tonight.
With all the commotion are preparations have been making, I think my feathered friend, Eddie, will be quite happy to see us go. He's not too happy about any kind of excitement, unless it's purely his own, usually over one of his favorite tv commercials, which of course, feature someone whistling in the background. 
Anyway, if you happen to see us driving around in a furtive manner, PLEASE, pretend you don't know us. Thank you. Until next time, enjoy yourselves, and stay out of trouble.

Time Travels by Speed Train

Wow. It's already close to the middle of August. I remember just seeing my friend's daughter as she was getting ready to go to China for a month and a half. And this Sunday, two and a half days from now, she will get back. And, come to think of it, I can remember getting hit in the head with a toy rifle when I was in 8th grade, just like it was yesterday. And now I'm 29 years old (Yeah, you heard me. I said, 29. Wanna' make something of it?) I feel like I'm in a time machine going the wrong way.
Anyway, I guess if there is a lesson to be learned, from this runaway train called time, it's to enjoy all we can, while we can. And to appreciate each other, and all we have, as much as possible. Because this life, is a rental. Nobody, as the famous Jim Morrison once sang, gets out of here alive.
So, feel blessed, and don't let a moment be wasted. Make sure you follow whatever dreams you may have, and accomplish something worthwhile. Me? I think I'm going to take my friend, Albert the black bear, fishing. It's the least I can do for someone who has added some excitement, & laughter, to my life.

Blundering Along

I am a very lucky guy. I have things to do in my life that not only do I love and enjoy, but they give me wonderful reasons to fight my periods of moodiness, and depression. Don't get me wrong. I do not have severe depression. I am not depressed all the time, or every day. Some days, however, usually late in the day, I have a difficult time feeling good about anything, including myself. Those are usually the days that joining the French Foreign Legion sounds like a good idea. It's on those days, and during those sometimes overwhelming moments, that I know I'm lucky to have my family, my friends, and of course, my little feathered companion, Eddie. Remembering them, helps me remember the responsibility I have to be in their lives. And it reminds me, that despite everything else, this is where I belong.
And so, as sad as I might feel on any given evening, I know tomorrow will always be a new day. And I know, that just one of my good days, will always make up, for all the bad ones.
Like I said. I'm a pretty lucky guy.  

Blue Moon

I'm feeling a bit blue today, which isn't good motivation for getting things done. I had intentions of doing some housecleaning, and maybe even some laundry. But all I have accomplished so far, on this splendid day, is reading the newspaper, hanging out with Eddie, and being a couch cowboy. Yeehaa!
I did, however, find the actual definition of a blue moon, which most people believe to be the second full moon in the same month. But that is not correct. The phrase was originally coined (created) by farmers quite a few blue moons ago. A blue moon is the third full moon in a season that has four full moons. A season, of course, has three months, or thereabouts, such as spring or fall. So, there you have it.
Anyroad (the original word that was replaced by anyway), I don't think I will get much cleaning done today. And that's ok. I will take some time to go over my current Mandarin lesson, do some pleasure reading, be pestered by Eddie, and maybe eat some cherries that were so kindly given to me.
Tomorrow is another day. I might as well get what enjoyment I can from my blue mood, and ride it out.
Soon enough it will be another full moon. And then, once again, I will have to attempt to track down the werewolf that is terrorizing the city. It's a tough job, but it's a living. As long as I don't get dead.