In past years, I have kept my readers informed of the bear den cams and the lives of the new cubs. This year, although I have been watching it all unfold, I have not been sharing the life of the bears with you. So, I would like to fix that today . . . there are exciting things going on.

There are three den cams recording the bears this year. Lily and Faith – Lily is the famous bear who was the first to give birth live on the internet a few years ago and her one year old cub Faith. The second den cam records Honey and Lucky two bears at the North American Bear Center who decided to den together this year for some unknown reason. And, drum roll please ….
The star of January 2012 is 3 yr old Jewel who became a mom for the first time giving birth live on the internet this week to two cubs. (light spot under her chin is a baby bear)

Baby bear viewing is better than ever due to placement of the camera and the fact that Jewel is facing the camera much of the time. There are tons of bear sounds in the den, one cub is definitely a screamer (so you might want to turn your volume down). The new little cubbies are visible often and you can watch as their tiny little legs and paws help them to crawl around on mom looking for the perfect spot. Jewel seems to be a perfect and very patient mother.

Here are some links for further information, the den cams, and highlight videos:

♠ Highlights of the cubs first few days of life can be seen here: Highlight video at YouTube

♠ All three live cams can all be found here: Home page for the Den Cams

♠ And for written updates and photos visit this page: Daily Updates

Take some time this weekend to watch the bears .. nature can be very soothing (when the babies are not screaming too loudly for attention )

“Bears keep me humble. They help me to keep the world in perspective and to understand where I fit on the spectrum of life. We need to preserve the wilderness and its monarchs for ourselves, and for the dreams of children. We should fight for these things as if our life depended on it, because it does.”
~ Wayne Lynch

"Should I stay or should I go?"

Everything I did or did not do was based on how I physically felt. I stopped committing to activities and invitations and said “maybe” because I had no idea if I was going to physically be able to leave my house. “Maybe” had become my only response to invitations. No one could truly count on me for anything and I started feeling really bad about having friends and family hang on my non-committal “maybe” and then letting them down at the last-minute because I did not feel well. To be honest, sometimes I even used the “maybe if I feel well enough” excuse for things I did not really want to do even if I was feeling well. I had been living a “maybe life”.

Living a “maybe life” is different then procrastination. It has more to do with indecision, excuses, and maybe even a juggling, multi-tasking life style where the thing that screams the loudest gets our attention. This is about not being able to live your life and do what you truly want to do because of a “maybe” in your life that holds you back. Mine was my health and I bet bad health accounts for the majority of the “maybe lives” being lived. I now have much more sympathy for people who suffer with that “maybe”. One of my friend’s “maybe” is her husband … “maybe if my husband is in a good mood”. Other “maybes” could be work, fears, concern over missing out on something better that might come along, worries, or needing approval from someone else. We all have “maybes” in our life and they are not really a problem until those “maybes” stop us from living altogether and mine was doing that to me.

"Maybe the grass is better over there?"

Some “maybes” like “maybe if I can find a babysitter”, “maybe if I don’t have to work”, “maybe if the weather is good”, etc … are perfectly understandable and logical especially if they are not used all the time. Those types of “maybes” are a natural part of a busy and very full life. The problem with “Maybes” is when they become a crutch or an excuse for not living. When they are our standard response to invitations or even to our own desired outings or goals. “Maybes” can become our “easy out” for everything. They can prevent us from making decisions and changes in our life. They make us seem very “wishy-washy” and unreliable. When the “maybe” is holding us back from life and/or when our “maybe” starts hurting those around us it is time to deal with the “maybe”.

Our “maybe’s” can become a very bad habit and a poor excuse for not participating in life. I have found myself a few times lately automatically saying “maybe” out of habit (especially when I am tired or not thrilled about doing whatever it is), but I don’t have the bad health excuse any more. Part of my new problem is that saying “no” is hard for me. Especially if it is a friend that is asking. However, I now realize that a polite “no” and asking for a rain check for another time/activity is more friendly than a non-committal “maybe” that leaves everyone hanging.

Further Discussion:
I am still processing my thoughts about all this … what are your thoughts?
What are the “maybes” in your life that hold you back sometimes?
Is it rude to reply to an invite with a “maybe”?
Has our modern societal changes made “maybe” the new standard?
Does anyone you know live a non-committal, “maybe life” that you view as healthy?

Here is another bloggers insight into a “maybe life”.

FYI: I have posted new pictures on my 2012 Weekly Photo Challenges page … “Launch” and “peaceful” this week I am working on the new one “Simple” … This is a Word Press challenge that I enjoy very much.

Walking through the woods is my way of relaxing and exercising. During the winter months there is usually too much snow in northern Minnesota to make that an easy thing to do and I am limited to my plowed gravel road. There are no groomed trails nearby and I have not invested in a good pair of snowshoes, yet. The bitter cold and short daylight hours are also a factor that sometimes make it difficult to get outside for those walks.

This year is different. With only about 4-5 inches of snow on the ground and warm temperatures (it warmed to 52º last thursday and remained rather warm all weekend) getting out into the woods is a joy. Walking is easy and it has been warm enough to bring my camera with.

Walking with my camera automatically makes me examine my environment in detail. I have walked the same paths a hundred times, therefore, the unique and original pictures are found when I am looking at details. In a normal winter, finding those unique pictures gets to be pretty tough. The snow covers everything and taking pictures of the cold white stuff gets old. The winter of 2011-12 is far from normal. Low growing plants are not buried in snow this year and provide for some interesting textures and colors. (more pictures at the end of the post)

Yesterday, I saw this feather covered twig of brush. When I find things like this, it makes me wonder what the story is? Did the bird have a major “itch” it needed to scratch? Did a hunting bird (owl, hawk, eagle) store its kill on the stick? Did a bird impale itself accidentally similar to how they fly into my windows? (no other feathers, body parts or blood were anywhere to be found … makes this feathered twig a real mystery)

The animal tracks I saw on my weekend walk made me wonder, too. The small details in the animal tracks are easily visible in the snow this year. Some I easily recognized (squirrel, fox, and deer). Some tracks were strange-looking and they made me wonder about what animal passed through and whether or not they live here all the time, but I just never see them? Tracks are mysterious and make my mind wonder about their life … Where are the animals going? What were they doing? Is their home close by? Were they being chased or chasing something else?

All the little details that can be found in the woods this mild winter have a story behind them … and it makes me wonder.

Here are a few more of the mild winter textures and colors I found this past weekend and all of my “wonders” about them: (click on images to enlarge)
~ How does the chickadee get the seed out of the shell without dropping it?
~ What did the nuthatch find that was so interesting?
~ What’s with all this soft fuzz … confused pussy willows of some kind?
~ How do the prickles, fuzz and snow still co-exist after all of these months?
~ Why are some oak leaves transparent and others remain orange on the same tree?

One last “wonder” … Why I thought I hit the Publish Button on Sunday, but did not?
Oops …

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.” ~Albert Einstein

“Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.”
~ Henry Winkler

The path of our life is varied. Sometimes winding, hilly, paved, rocky, or murky. At other times is it a straight clear road on a sunny day. At times it is hidden in fog, unexpected hazards pop up, and detours takes us away from our intended destination. There are turns we have to take and stop signs we must obey. Our speed fluctuates with our determination and terrain.

Looking behind us, we can see the steps we took to get us where we are today. We can see where we faltered, fell down, slid or got stuck. Less visible, the smooth highways where we flew like the wind and did not leave a trace.

The path in front of us is definitely not as clear as the trail we have left behind, yet it always presents us with unexpected twists. At times our life path may be completely invisible or require us to make complicated direction decisions with unknown consequences, but it is not something we can abandon. We must continue each day to find our way down the road even if we have to blaze a new trail or face a road hazard that may cause some damage. Every day we choose the roads in life that, hopefully, will lead us to the best we can be as we live our “one wild and precious life” (Mary Oliver).

“Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

My 2012 wish for you is a safe life road with just enough twists, turns and hills to make it exciting and life-giving. Loving companionship along the way, carefully placed steps that make a positive difference and memorable footprints that are a pleasure to glance back at.

“I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost

(Photographs: a trail left behind in the frozen lake of a deer who walked through while the ice was still soft.)

This Fall, I had fun taking pictures of fuzz, it seemed to be everywhere. At the time, I started a post on it called “Fun with Fuzz”, but never quite finished it. There is not much to say about “fuzz”, so I tucked it away waiting for inspiration. As time passed, the temperatures dropped and the fuzz blew away revealing that many of the same warm, fuzzy plants I was collecting pictures of also come with some very sharp prickles. The combination of characteristics brought to mind the story of warm fuzzies and cold pricklies. (If you have never heard the story, you can read it here: The Original Warm Fuzzy Tale) At my school, the story was taught to (may still be) elementary students to discuss feelings. Emotions are sometimes hard for young children to understand, especially (like my starting quote says) the fact that you can not shut them off. The warm fuzzy tale was a way to demonstrate and talk about the things that made them feel good inside and things that hurt them.

The definition I like best for “Warm Fuzzy” is … The warm, pleasant sensations one feels in the stomach and heart area when emotionally moved by an act of goodwill or love. Like Warm Fuzzies, Cold Pricklies are exactly what the words sound like … “Cold Prickly “An act that makes one sad, depressed, or hurt inside and causes one to go down a notch on the self-esteem ladder of life.”

Without a doubt, we have all experienced both warm fuzzies and cold pricklies. We have probably dished out our fair share of each, too. Everything in nature seems to come with both traits … thankfully (when it comes to cold pricklies), they are usually not distributed in equal proportions. This is one aspect of life where a healthy balance swings way to one side, the warm and fuzzy side of life.

We naturally gravitate towards the warm fuzzies in our lives and avoid the cold pricklies. Warm fuzzies make us grow healthy and happy, where cold pricklies kill our spirit. The holiday season (where I live) takes place at the coldest, darkest time of the year. However, there are emotional heat sources everywhere and we are not cold. During the Christmas season, warm fuzzies are much easier to find, we are eager to give warm fuzzies away to others and we are more inclined to not spread any cold pricklies.

Take the time to share the warmth with those you care about … hug them, call them, compliment them, write them, be with them, support them, whatever it takes to keep them warm to the fact that they matter and you care. Warm fuzzies are not charity or a burden to the giver, they are mutually beneficial. The warmth we give to others, warms us even more then it does them. Let’s try to spread those warm fuzzies around all year-long!

I hope that your holiday season is filled with lots of warm fuzzies and the cold pricklies are left out in the cold where they belong.

“Live with no excuses and love with no regrets” ~ Montel

Celebrating Winter … I can’t believe I just said that, but it is true this year. Winter is usually a very harsh season, especially here in the north. Winter has a lot of negative history. Just try to find a positive, happy quote about winter .. they are rare (I looked hard because I really wanted to find one for this post).

It is a very unusual winter for us Minnesotans, we are celebrating it. Everything you have heard in the past about a Minnesota winter is not true this year (yet). No mountains of snow, cloudy dark days, or 40º below temperatures. It still feels like the end of October or November here. We have warm temperatures (suppose to reach about 40º today), cool temperatures at night to keep the lakes frozen, the sun has been shining, only a dusting of snow on the ground, and the road conditions are super.

The most joyous part of this crazy unusual winter has been the ice-covered lakes. When I wrote my last post, the beautiful lake ice was a rare novelty – - something to celebrate because the chances of it lasting for a whole week was not very good (a once in 10 years treat). However, it has now been several weeks and no snow is in our weather forecast. This extended period of wonderous ice is bringing out the best of winter creative fun. Minnesotans are finding great ways to enjoy it. There is a lot of icy joy, fun, and memories being made.

How are we celebrating? We are outdoors enjoying it. Of course, ice fishing is popular here as always … only this year, the need for a fishing house is less. The fishing population can stand outside and bask in the sunshine. The skaters are still taking advantage of the great lake ice, I have friends who are skating several miles a day. Ice boating is becoming a huge new craze. The cross-country skiers and snowmobilers are not happy because of the lack of snow … but, are using their creativity to find other ways to enjoy their Minnesota winter.

I thought I would share two new videos posted on YouTube showing how Minnesotans are celebrating the Winter of 2011.
Both videos have festive music of the season and are entertaining. Most of all, they show the amazing lake skating that I am running out of words to describe.

The first video is of a family whose children skated to school in Bemidji with the help of a homemade ice sled. Bemidji is one of the larger cities in the area and is built around a large lake and the Mississippi River. Bemidji has many “city” schools where skating to school would be impossible. However, they also have a small charter school at the north end of town in the woods. The video is enchanting … going to school looks like so much fun: Skating to School in Bemidji

If you have never seen an ice boat. Check out this Ice boating video. We have a lot of people trying it for the very first time this year and this video is about one man’s first trip: Ice Boating in Minnesota 2011 Looks like a great way to experience speed and nature all at once.

I hope you will share your thoughts on Winter. Being from Minnesota, we are all secretly holding our breaths wondering when Mother Nature is going to notice she forgot to send us our harsh, cold weather .. deep down inside, unspoken (just in case she can hear us) we all know we are going to have to pay for this nice start to winter in some way.
** Do you know of a positive happy quote about winter that I overlooked?
** How are people in your area celebrating winter this year?

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” ~ Edith Sitwell

What makes this winter extra special and extremely rare is the fact that our lakes are frozen and there is absolutely no snow on them. Northern Minnesota, land of 10,000 + lakes, is an ice skaters paradise. I only remember conditions being like this once before when I was about 7. My memories of that experience are vivid because it was so exciting to be able to put on a pair of skates and skate everywhere and anywhere .. no shoveling a little rectangle to skate in … you could skate around an entire lake.

Our first big snow fall will ruin these rare skating conditions, so the need to get out and enjoy it is immediate. Most years, we do not get the opportunity to skate because the ice freezes with a slushy/icy crust or it is immediately covered in snow. Some years the lakes freeze nice and a skater may get a day or two of good skating ice before a snow fall. This years ice conditions are extremely rare because they have lasted over a week and it looks like we will probably have at least one more week of snow-free ice.

If you are an avid ice skater or ice sailing enthusiast, now is definitely the time to visit Minnesota. There are a few natural hazards around the edges of the lakes, but because of the lack of snow, they are very visible and avoidable. And, I hear that some of the lakes have ice that is clear and you can see down into the lake as you skate .. how cool is that?

I am ashamed to admit that I added a few obstacles on two of the lakes near me. If you come here to skate, watch out for pebbles on the ice. Yes, pebbles … I am very sorry. I was overcome by a strong urge to indulge in the second thing that makes these rare and precious ice conditions so extremely special … the ice is musical. If you skip a rock or throw, let’s say a small handful of pebbles on the ice, every single bounce of every rock makes a magical ringing sound. Isn’t nature wonderous?

Get out there and enjoy this rare Minnesota December .. skate, sail your ice boats, and make music in nature before the snow comes and ruins all the once twice in a lifetime fun.

Logically, I understand how Black Friday has become such an extreme spectacle. The huge corporate stores need the sales at the end of the year. Consumers love a sale and Christmas has always been a “buying” season. My mind, however, does not stop there .. it keeps analyzing everything about it. It disturbs me that these two underlying factors (make money/save money) over the past few years have mushroomed into a huge nuclear type cloud that is engulfing our society in “stuff” and stealing more and more of our Thanksgiving holiday each year. This seemingly win-win consumerism mess is covertly destroying parts of our life that in my opinion should have more meaning.

Look what making a buck and saving a buck has done to our most thoughtful and uncommercialized holiday … Thanksgiving. The special day set aside once a year for us to take the time to enjoy friends and families by sharing our blessings and great food has been sped up, if not eliminated, by a shopping frenzy. In many homes it has become a rush to get the meal over with so that the shopping offense and defense can begin. How many of us have spent more time planning our midnight shopping rampage this year then we did our Thanksgiving dinner? Shouldn’t Thanksgiving Day be spent focused on friends and family and thankfulness … instead of Wanting? It seems to me, society is forcing us to choose … meaningful time with people vs being the first in line to get whatever big advertised discount caught our eye.

I totally understand why things are the way they are this year, I have looked at it from every angle … the problem is I just don’t get it. Could someone please tell me what I am missing? Last night, I thought that maybe if I went to a store as a spectator this year, watched the spectacle maybe I would get it … maybe I would feel what all these other people feel about the “big sale” … but, I really doubt it. I have no desire to participate. There is nothing material I want worth the price of crowds and my sanity.

I guess I can blame it on my country living or my logical brain and it’s continual questioning search to understand something it may never be able to rationalize for me. As I write, my mind is still pondering so many things . . .

To the Big Stores: Do you realize that you have now trained millions of people to only shop/buy things during a “sale”? I personally will never buy anything without a markdown sticker because you have shown me that your price tags are naturally inflated and the price will eventually come down. Except for a few emergency situations … guess what? … I am very patient. I can wait for you to lower your prices. And, sometimes while I am waiting, I realize I don’t really need whatever it was.

Consumers: The word “Sale” catches most of us. Black Friday super sales make some of us buying crazy. After we are successful in being the first in line to grab that tv that is basically being given away .. how many other “sale” items are going to end up in your cart were things you knew you wanted/needed before you got psychologically caught up in the buying frenzy? How many of your “deals” are going to end up in a box in the basement, a storage facility or a landfill within a few months?

I would love to start a campaign to boycott Black Friday sales (especially the ones that start on Thanksgiving) and encourage people to demand the return of our Thanksgiving holiday.

Just think what the big stores would do if no one showed up to the Black Friday sales this year? Consumers have power. Imagine the sales that would appear the following week to get you into the stores? OH NO, on second thought, scratch that entire thought … it will just fuel the craziness of the whole situation.

Instead, think logically … We all know that Black Friday prices are not going to be the cheapest of the year. We still have all the last minute Christmas eve sales and the bright and early day after Christmas clearance sales where most of the items you thought you got on sale will be even cheaper.

I am sorry for being a Black Friday Shopping party-pooper. If you enjoy it, I how you are out having fun in the craziness this year. But, in the back of your mind, will think about next year for me? Together, we could save Thanksgiving 2012 by doing our 2012 Christmas Shopping during the clearance sales this December and boycotting Black Friday 2012. My mathematical mind thinks the odds are totally against this happening … but my optimistic side hopes there is a chance things will change and “buying” will not take over the last few months of 2012 .. there are much more important things to do and experience at this time of year.

I hope you had a Happy Turkey Day!

Wild Rice
At the end of the summer, there was the wild rice harvest. Minnesota’s lakes and rivers are abundant with wild rice that grows there naturally. Wild rice is Minnesota’s State grain and is a very healthy food. Did you know that wild rice is not rice, but a grass seed? In Minnesota, it is regulated and must be harvested in the traditional Indian way. This means of extra income is open to anyone who wants to hop in a canoe to collect the rice. According to a site on State crop profiles, “Minnesota ranks 2nd nationally in production of wild rice and contributes an average of 44% to the total U.S. production.”

Pinecones
In the late Fall/early winter, there is also smaller crop harvest that can allow people to make a little extra cash. The State DNR occasionally sets up a program to pay people to pick pinecones. There are specifications about where and what you pick and they pay by the pound for “closed” pinecones (the seeds must be intact). It is not an unpleasant way to spend some time in the woods and the seeds you collect go to growing more beautiful trees. The only hazard is fighting the squirrels for them.

Boughs and Wreaths
The biggest northwoods way to make extra cash from things nature provides is bough cutting and wreath making. This thriving enterprise begins in October and goes through the first half of December.

According to the DNR, “Minnesota is a leader in the production of holiday wreaths and greenery due to the State’s large resource of balsam fir. Balsam boughs used in the wreath industry account for over $23 million in sales annually.” Many people who live near me work evenings and weekends in the Christmas wreath business because it is an independent way to earn money. If you are a fast worker, this can be a very profitable time of year and some people even take a leave of absence from their regular jobs to make wreaths. For some people in my area, this is an annual family tradition and everyone pitches in to make the wreaths.

Flat Balsam Boughs for Wreaths

During my poor college years, I earned some extra money doing this work. One Fall, my sister and I went out in the woods to cut boughs and sell them. It really is not that hard. We were out in the woods during the prettiest time of year, nice weather and no bugs. You can earn up to $1.oo a pound in a high demand year. The toughest part was hauling our heavy bough bundles out of the woods. The following year, I took a part-time job at one of the factories making wreaths. At the start, it was full of holiday cheer with the smell of the greens, the friendly chatter while we worked (like Santa’s elves) and Christmas music playing. Then, the hand cramps from cutting began, the stress of turning out a set number of wreaths every hour grew, the sticky sap was everywhere (and did not come off), the Christmas music was no longer a welcome thing (one more version of jingle bells would have sent most of us screaming out into the streets). It was a life experience I don’t regret, but I feel very fortunate that I only had to work there once.

This season, my brother has a contract for 2000 wreaths (they pay by the wreath and will take more if he can make more) and has set up shop in his garage. He cuts his own boughs, the company provides the metal rings and crimper (machine used to attach the boughs to the ring). The company even comes to the house with a truck to pick up the finished wreaths. For him, he appreciates that it costs him nothing except his time and labor to have a little wreath making shop for a few months. Decorating the wreaths is done mostly at factories where they also make swags and garlands from the balsam and pine boughs and usually some cedar and pinecones found in the area.

Minnesota supplies most of the live pine decorations around the country. It makes the world seem a little closer/smaller knowing that the chances are pretty good that your Christmas wreath was made by someone I know or came from the forests that I drive by every day.

Are there any similar “natural” ways to earn income in your area? I would love to hear about them.

During this past week, I have been noticing things that are mysterious and/or just plain annoying. I started keeping track of them, hoping to be hit with a blogging topic inspiration. Then, I realized, just the fact that I have no answers to these mysterious things that popped up in my life this week was a topic well deserving of a blog post.

My hope is that this post will help me find my answers. I am looking to you, my very smart and wise to the world readers for answers to these mysteries. Can anyone solve a mystery or two?
Here they are . . .

Mystery #1: How does one, very lonely daisy out in the middle of the yard survive several weeks of nights with the temperatures below freezing?

Mystery #2: Where does the first fruit fly come from? How can your house be fruit fly free for months and be invaded by hundreds in just one day? (I was home bound and nothing new came into the house)

Mystery #3: How a big fat mouse can squeeze through a .4 cm (I measured) crack in the weather-stripping of the corner of my garage door? Not just one, but 9 mice in the past 4 days have found their way into the garage and fortunately into the traps. Sorry animal lovers of all kinds .. the mice have been busy chewing things in my car (seats, napkins, proof of insurance, and wiring) … they had to go.

Mystery #4: Why health insurance, which includes preventive care … does not cover foot orthotics? Needed shoe inserts recommended for flat feet and ordered by a doctor. Inserts that will help prevent the need for a future knee, hip or ankle surgery.

Mystery #5: Why strangers think it is perfectly okay to stroll onto your property close enough to be heard talking from the kitchen window in hunting clothes and carrying guns? Why these same men don’t understand why I refuse to believe that they did not see the many neon-yellow no trespassing signs they had to walk past to get where they were .. my house? (Okay, I will admit that I have a possible answer to this one .. but, I am too polite to say it.)

Mystery #6: Why certain companies ship something as small as a 1″ x 1″ x .25″ camera battery in a box large enough to hold four 1 gallon plastic milk jugs?

Please submit your knowledgeable (and/or humorous) answers to my mysteries in a comment. thanks

The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. ~ Albert Einstein