Some folks say there ain’t no bears in Arkansas, but we’ve got ‘em here in New Jersey — and one is in the room with me for this video!
Nah, that’s just the closest thing I have to a bear: my floofpanther Bixby taking his duties very seriously while I perform.
I chose Lyle Lovett’s version of this Steven Fromholz song not just because we get a double L for the entry, but because Dan and I have a stupid and long-running joke about bears and I feel compelled to share it.
We have seen bears uncomfortably close proximity on a few of our trips.
On a trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a mom and her cubs came crashing down the hill, bounced across the trail, and continued down the slope while we all gawked.
In Glacier National Park, I encountered a bear nosing around the dumpsters at the Rising Sun Motor Inn one evening, and we also spotted a brown bear loping across the road one morning on our way to the Grinnell Glacier boat.
But the best and most long-lasting bear memory we have is of a Maine bear encounter.
There’s a rental cabin property on the way to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park that I call “Murder Cabins” because of the somewhat dilapidated look of the individual cottages tucked into a woodsy spot alongside the two-lane highway.
So I guess the phrase “Murder Cabins” is always in the back of my mind any time we’re up in Acadia, and this was no different when we stayed there during my 2022 artist residency.
Because I had the bright idea to see the summer solstice sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, we had to leave our apartment on the Schoodic Peninsula at 2:30 am that June morning to make it to the summit in time for a 4:30 am showing.
Thankfully Dan can drive in the dark, whereas I cannot. And as bleary-eyed as we both were, I was on high alert for any wildlife that might dart into our path.
And as we rounded a corner through a rural but residential area on our way to the main road, we saw a bear’s round rump bounding away from a few trash cans awaiting for pickup.
Even though the bear just wanted an early morning snack, they are now known forever to us as “Murder Bear.” Inside jokes often make no sense, but there you have it.
Prior to the trip, I bought myself a pair of Darn Tough socks (the best socks) that feature a bear design, and of course they’re now known as my Murder Bear socks. I always feel a little happier when I’m wearing them.
And remember, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, except bears. Bears will kill you.
Listen to the original version of “Bears”:
Read more about The Ukulele Alphabet project:
Introducing The Ukulele Alphabet
There are 52 weeks in the year and 26 letters in the alphabet. 26 times 2 equals 52.
Share this post