My eyes adjust to the sun shining through the green branches above me, the smell of cedar and pine needles fill the air around me, the sounds of the birds singing brings all my senses to the experience. I walk alone, my preference, interruptions bother me when I walk. Pulling my jumper over my head I feel sweat slipping down my neck onto my scarf. As I stroll along the river, I hear the bubbling and gurgling of the water as it rolls relentlessly over the rocks and stones. Walking slowly, I feel the sun warm on the bare skin of my arms that are gently moving as I walk. A slight breeze passes over me, I close my eyes, pause, and breathe in the sweet scent of the forest. Moving on again my feet carefully negotiate the large tree roots that crawl across the pathway.
What was that noise? I stop. A sharp crack of a branch breaking behind me. My heart skips a beat as I know there are bears in this place. I turn around slowly to look behind me and notice a medium size black bear walking along the path. It is coming towards me. My heart pounds in my ears, I draw in a sharp full breath. My eyes take in everything and in that split second the forest disappears and all I see is black fur, long claws and big shining dark eyes.
As if frozen in time I watch myself and survey all that is seen; it is as if I am hovering above myself. The black bear comes slowly towards me, terrified I stand like a statue and look towards the ground. The bear approaches me very slowly, its big head reaches out to me, it flares its wet black and shiny nostrils then it sniffs me, my feet, my legs and my abdomen. I hardly breathe. I wait.
Slowly and skilfully the bear rises onto its back legs, stretches to its full length, and stares me in the face. I lift my gaze and our eyes focus on each other. Momentarily I lose myself in the warm brown liquid eyes peering at me. I pause, I pray, I breathe. We meet, I smell its sour breath and feel the warmth of it slide over my skin. It is intensely intimate. More sniffing and curiosity, more wanting to know me. I breathe out slowly and deeply, the bear drops to the ground turns around and saunters slowly away.