The Appeal of Hibernation - Tracy Krauss

The notion of hibernation appeals to me, especially when I'm suffering from a lack of sleep, an overload of responsibilities, or looming deadlines. I could learn a thing or two from those species that curl up for the winter in a nice cozy cave. Instead, I tend to take on more and more during the winter months. Teaching full time, an upcoming drama show, making my own Christmas presents, church responsibilities... oh, did I mention I signed up for nanowrimo again this year? Call me crazy, but I'm near the finish line with another 3000 words to go in order to make my 50,000 word deadline in one month. I'm ready for a rest, but that's not going to happen until after the Christmas rush of concerts, dinners, decorating and the like. I feel a little bit like a bear that is waiting for winter.

Interestingly, we had a few real life examples of just such a phenomenon this fall. The weather was unusually mild for an extended period of time in northern BC. This is not something that the residents of the small mountain town where I live would normally complain about. However, Tumbler Ridge had to contend with more than one black bear hanging around waiting for colder weather to hit. Signs were posted around town for at least three weeks straight and bear sightings were a daily occurrence. People were told to keep their small pets indoors, children only played outside in groups, and it was a rare and brave individual who walked alone, especially after dark.

One friend took pictures of the bear tracks in her garden and the scratch marks on her fence. Somehow the bear got into her yard, even though it is enclosed on all sides by a six foot wooden fence. My neighbor two doors down saw a mother and cub in the vacant yard next to theirs. Residents were getting frustrated. They just didn't feel safe.

No measures were taken to trap or relocate the bears, however. It wasn't an isolated incident or just one rogue bear. When you build a town in the middle of a forest, you can expect to share it with the wildlife. A few years ago, a bear had to be shot just five houses down from us because it was hiding under someone's deck and wouldn't come out. Perhaps he thought he'd found the perfect place for his winter's nap. Fortunately, there were no casualties this year and the town is now bear free for several months until springtime.

I'm hoping for some of that same rest and relaxation to hit somewhere around December 26 - just in time for my next contribution to this blog on December 27. 

Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author, artist, playwright, teacher, pastor, worship leader, blogger, speaker, wife, mother, grandmother ...(takes a breath) who is planning to hibernate for exactly one week after Christmas before jumping back into the fray called life. Visit her website at: tracykrauss.com