Carolyn Holm

Dear Mom,
I don’t want to go back up to the mountains. To the cabin. Ever again.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
This is about the bear, isn’t it, sweetie. Don’t worry, she’s not coming back.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I’m really sorry I didn’t chase her out. I’m supposed to protect you. I let you down.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No No No! You did NOT let us down! That bear was WAY above your pay grade.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You and your friend were so brave!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well, we were sorta prepared. Folks were talking about a bear that was coming around. I was all set with a big pot and a metal ladle. I tried several combinations before I found the one with the loudest sound. So we were locked and loaded. As it were. Loaded for bear! I never thought I’d be saying that old expression and mean it!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But you two were still REALLY BRAVE!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We didn’t have any choice, honey. That bear was coming through the kitchen window. I sure wish I had the time to get a photo of her!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
She had her head and her shoulders all the way through the window!!! She had her front paws on the kitchen cabinet!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That was quite a sight, wasn’t it, only six feet away from us. And she was just lifting one hind foot up to bring it in too. She froze, astonished to see me and my friend suddenly show up in front of her, me banging on a pot and my friend banging a chair up and down on the floor. We were truly scary!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You two were ROARING!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’ve never had that noise come out of me before. I didn’t know I could roar. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I didn’t even bark. I’m a complete failure.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No you’re not! You did the right thing!!! You stayed at my side, and showed perfect, terrified, restraint.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The bear looked astonished. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
She was. We had been quietly reading in the other room, so I think she thought no one was home. But there we were. There she was. We made eye contact and I swear I heard her say “What.” And we kept roaring and banging, and then she said “Okay, okay, I’ll go.” And she backed out the window.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Then she headed on around the lake. 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
The Fish and Wildlife people were looking for her. She had been reported because she was gallivanting around in broad daylight, breaking into cabins, showing up on porches, visiting the campground. She was just a young bear, having a good time. I think she was on her Rumspringa. Unfortunately, it didn’t end well. They tranquillized her, and then they checked her ear tag – that’s the jaunty red decoration we saw hanging off one of her ears – and they saw she had been relocated twice before. So they felt they had to euthanize her. Clearly she wasn’t a bear who could be rehabilitated. She was a dumpster bear. And dumpster bears are trouble.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Next time we have a bear visitor I promise I’ll chase it out.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No honey, like I said, that’s way above your pay grade. Your job is to take me for walks, not to chase bears. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I was horrified to find out how scary you are. I don’t want to hear that roar again.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You and me both.
Love, Carolyn

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A note to our readers…

Yes, this actually happened.

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!