Lily the North American Black Bear gave us HOPE

We must Protect

The North American Black Bears

Good morning morning and all who gather here!

"My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.

{Dalai Lama}

The coffee is hot and good this morning as I await my friend the sun. Monday was lovely, but oh so quickly did it run past,

in the late afternoon from out of nowhere, the rains came straight down from the skies...

 just straight down and the smell was delightful. The 4 leggeds didn't know what had happened until minutes later when they realized they were soaked while dancing around the pool!

They are so very funny.

Those fans on the Lily the Black Bear Facebook Fan Page are having a great time with the auctions, to benefit the North American Black Bears.

I have to tell you, I have been ROTFLMBO{rolling on the floor laughing my butt off};
so often, I think I'll just keep the computer and a pillow there!

This mornings picture is "JO"
The North American Black Bear... she is now a "star and  poster "Bear" and is the one chosen of many that were submitted to Dr Lynn Rogers at the North American Bear Center,
to be used to educate, to let others know that we must protect and care for the research bears there...
asking from a place of respect and honor; pleading:
to others out there: to not shoot these special bears.
This is JO the North American Black Bear; isn't she just the most beautiful and gentle eyed bear...

"This one captured the eyes and gentleness of Jo in an especially compelling way" said Dr Rogers.

They have now printed the posters and put them up in the Bear Center. I hope they have also gifted them to the sports shops and to the DNR as well.
Dr Rogers and Sue Mansfeld along with thousands of fans on the Lily the Black Bear Fan page, and Hunters alike have sent letters to those in power, those politicians who can affect change in the legislature and laws... 
also requesting Commissioner Holsten and others;  
asking for a Commissioner’s Order to protect the radio-collared bears wearing ribbons in central St Louis County (the study area) in MN. 

 The law now needs to be clear ... two collared bears have been needlessly killed this year, one wearing bright pink ribbons killed. One was Lily's brother, he was wearing a collar; he was killed.

Ethical hunters are outraged; many have a great relationship built on trust with Dr Rogers who has spent his life working with the North American Bears... they know the value of his work; they appreciate the time, they understand that these bears are special, that there is no claim to glory in hunting bears that have known humans and that are gentle spirits, nope no sport in that at all.

There are 20,000+  bears in MN, there are but so many that are collared, that are being studied...

 These bears have known and come to trust the scent of humans...
There is no honor in hunting bears that have come to know that safety, bears that have known they are safe when walking among humans, now sacrificed by tags led by ethics. There needs to be a clear cut law making it illegal to shoot collared/tagged/ribboned bears; one that has stiff penalties if violated. Many commentaries have been read on hunters sites, in local papers since the outrage of Sara's death by the anonymous hunter who dropped her collar in a mailbox... and it was with great sadness that I read many who wrote, "if it is a law, I will follow it", or "if I am lucky enough to draw a tag, I'm shooting it, collar, ribbons or not, unless the DNR shows me a law"...

With so many comments like that; even on sites where ethical hunters were outraged I say:
MAKE IT A ILLEGAL TO SHOOT COLLARED/TAGGED/RIBBONED NORTH AMERICAN BLACK BEARS... with a damn hefty fine or suspension of hunting license to boot if violated.

That will make it abundently clear to those that hunt who need more than ethics pleads and posters asking along with requests from the DNR and Dr Rogers to lead them.

Ethical hunters have said as much; they feel sick about what has happened to Sara; a yearling of Braveheart, and to Cal, Lily's brother... those ethical hunters feel badly, feel the same anger and outrage that many initially felt on Lily the North American Black Bear's page on Facebook. That angst turned quickly to grief, to sorrow, to feeling heartache for the work of so many years by Dr Lynn Rogers and Sue Mansfeld both so very dedicated, working without pause for the understanding and education and research of the North American Black Bear.

If you do not have a facebook account, you can read and get to know all about this wonderful group and the work being done at http://www.bear.org/
It is almost time for Lily and HOPE and JO and Braveheart and Juliet and the rest to den; the others as well. Each day and night virtual and real candles are lit by thousands for the bears and their safety; those who walk in the woods with them to try and protect them now in hunt season... folks wishing them safety on the facebook, urging them to go "nite nite", and telling them to "go to your den and stay put"!

They are all slowing down now; we all pray them safety, plead for them to dig, to den, and hope to follow again this winter as Lily and HOPE snuggle in, perhaps she will gift us with cubs once again...

The WRI, (Wildlife Research Institute) now has auctions on the Facebook page. And oh what a hoot that is; they've talked Dr Rogers right out of his boots! Sue lost a boot in the woods, it was retrieved by Lily and taken into the den where she and HOPE gnawed on it for a while... and oh how I hoped to win it~!
I was certain I would look quite cute wearing one beat up bear boot with a flip flop here in FL and maybe start a new fashion, but someone else now gets to do that instead... poor me...
There have been gorgeous earrings, necklaces, bear sun catchers, gift baskets, a fabulous cotton shirt autographed by Dr Rogers... and more yet to come...
Such fun I tell you... and all for such a great cause... The posts and comments make it lively; the commentaries about each of us falling in the floor laughing, the bidders canning peaches and conning spouses, the dogs and cats and hit send and bid on behalf of the bears... all move quickly on that page...

I remember writing here about cub HOPE's SCAT... do you remember reading about it? The SCAT fetched ... $1000.00
yep you read that right~!
Waiting for Jay Leno to call, he better hurry before Ellen D beats him to it... sure wish you could have read that thread in the discussions... I cannot remember laughing so hard...


Kelly 2 Wolves hand painted a feather for auction in memory of Sara Bear who was killed by a hunter, and then anonymously left her blood stained collar in the mailbox of the DNR in MN ~ the pink ribbons had been cut off though, makes one wonder about the intent behind that.
Now that feather brought a hefty price... somehow thinking... well let's just say it brought a large sum to the WRI...




Yesterday up for auction was an autographed copy of HEALING HEARTACHES, Stories of Loss and Life, and the bid began at $20.00.
I heard from Dotti and Guin on a post to go and take a look at the auction, my book was there... and it was rolling... So off to the discussion I went... I was humbled and overwhelmed... with great excitement I could not believe my eyes...

I was not prepared for what I found!

They were having a ball, the auction board was rolling, I got there as my book had hit
$80.00 ....

and the comments were hysterical, Kim and Cindy were at it... Cindy was canning pickles; the 7 day kind... so she was quite the multi tasker... others were "lurking" and watching and waiting for their opening... Cindy's hubby is praying he won't have to sell their house, and I am surprised he hasn't stolen the power cord of the computer yet... I swear Kim must have facebook on her phone cos' she pops up at all hours and sneaks a bid in, and I think she has esp...

Next thing I know Kim has gone and bid:
$135.00 and wants an autographed box of tissue too ~ Guin thinks that a great idea, but does not want "krumpled kleeenex" for fear that they would be used! LOL

and it continues on.... with folks wanting to know how to make pickles, how their hubbies think them crazed, with laughter, humor, happiness, and a love for North American Bears.... I sometimes wonder if he and Mrs Rogers and Sue ever sleep once they read those threads, but instead just laugh themselves silly!

And while we are rolling in the floor hysterical...
good ole Moe jumps in and bids:
you know MOE... he bid for the SCAT/THE FEATHER...
he's goin to open a Bru thru in Duluth ...
Moes Brew Thru and Pastry Too
Get YOURS and SCAT!!!
anyway, Moe jumps in and bids:

$250.00 for an autographed copy of
HEALING HEARTACHES....

and the page blows up; and humble Moe, aka {Mato Oyate Kola}friend of the bear nation kindly reminds all that this auction is not over until 11am today,
I can hardly wait to see if the bid has jumped higher there ...

And I have laughed until my sides are aching, my stomach will not allow me to eat solid foods... and I can't still breathe normally....
So I jumped on Twitter last night of course, and "tweeted Jay Leno" giving him the link to the discussion tab on the auction! At one point we suggested in a mock phone call to him that he fly all the fans to his show to talk about Lily and HOPE and Moe's Brew Thru and my book too, asking if he would put us up in the Ritz, or his garage, taking us for rides in his cars and Harley?  That sounds good, and we would make really great guests I'm thinking... and after all, although we would embarrass Dr Rogers and Sue, Jay would love to promote and be an ambassador for Lily the North American Black Bear and her cub HOPE... I mean just imagine the lines and material he could come up with from this crowd... HOPE's poopie gets 1 grand in a bid, someone suggests making it into gourmet coffee and having brew thru; making parfum from it, body scrub, wine that has earthy flavors and Filament Wine... why the places he could go with all of that material!!!

So how was your night last night... and how is your day going to be today?

And to think, last winter a North American Black Bear in her den, and a live cam... brought folks together from all across the globe... and Facebook exploded she now has more than 113 thousand friends watching, saying good morning from everywhere to each other; there are people there with life limiting diseases, with Cancer, there are Survivors, warriors, care givers... there are people there because of a man named Dr Lynn Rogers is living his dream and walking with bears, with an assistant named Sue, who also lost a boot in the woods (which was auctioned off to benefit the bears)
and together the lights are burning for this dreadful hunting season to end... and for the work to continue...

Lily gave us HOPE... HOPE gives us light, laughter and love ... How wonderful is that to start the day ~ and "SCAT" to think... most folks think it is jazz!

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing...
Be great to you today... STOMP, you are a winner...

The fire is  burning brightly, the sage and cedar fill the air as I hold the prayer bowl and send thoughts and prayer across the winds to all that are in that sacred circle...
STOMP ~ I ask that you remember them, hold them up in thoughts so that we all remember, we are together, along with some powerful angels here and in the next place ~
and for that I give thanks... and SO IT IS!

Walk In Beauty,
DRSES
That is the hope in Healing Heartaches
and for that I give thanks and so it is!
http://www.drsherryeshowalter.com/