"Keep your eyes open for a bear.  We've been seeing one hanging around the cabin lately."  These were the words of a friend of mine that was letting us stay at his lake cabin this past weekend.  I was hopeful to see this bear, so as we loaded up the truck, the boat, and Zoey, and headed up to the cabin, I kept my eyes peeled. 

We arrived at the cabin mid-afternoon on Friday and my hubby was anxious to get his boat on the water and do some fishing.  It was a perfectly gorgeous day, so I thought I might as well join him.  The water was glassy.  The sky was blue.  The sun was warm.  I boarded the boat armed with a book, excited to spend some time relaxing in the sun and reading.  As the minutes passed into hours, I realized that, surprise surprise, I am not one to sit still and read.  I became fidgety, sighing, changing positions, moving around and getting in the way of my hubby's fishing activities.  Finally he offered to take me to shore.  YES!!  I quickly agreed, so we went to shore and set about unpacking and making dinner.  The evening passed quietly, the only noises those of chipmunks, birds, and the sound of Zoey launching herself off of the dock and cannon-balling into the lake to retrieve the tennis ball we were throwing for her.   

Saturday we were up with the sun.  After being trapped in a truck and then in a fishing boat the day before, I had energy to burn.  Zoey and I took off up the road for a run.  I had my eyes peeled for any bear sightings, and as soon as we got to the main dirt road Zoey had her hackles up and was on high alert, constantly looking in to the forest to our right.  Her being on high alert made me on high alert.  We continued up the road, both on high alert.  As we rounded a corner in the road, there, ahead of us, in the middle of the road, was...a little fox.  Super cute little guy.  It trotted quickly into the brush and we continued on our way.  When we got back to the house, we headed down to the lake.  Hubby's plan was to fish all day.  I knew that wouldn't work for me, so I pulled out the lake kayak and paddled around with him for a while.  I was supposed to help him look for pike.  The only pikes I know are the kind performed to strengthen the ab muscles, but I assume what he was looking for was some kind of fish.  So I pretended to peer into the water, eyes peeled for this so-called pike.  Maybe I should have been looking for a fish doing ab work.  Either way, I didn't see anything.  We eventually went to a beach and had a little picnic lunch while Zoey fetched sticks from the lake.  After lunch, Hubby set off to fish more, and I paddled up a little inlet.  As I rounded a corner and came to a clearing in the dense brush on shore, there, in the clearing, was...a mama whitetail with twins.  Very cute.  I watched them for a little while and then paddled on my way.  As the sun made it's way across the sky, we headed back to the cabin and settled in for the evening. 

Sunday we were up with the sun again.  Again, Hubby's plan was to fish all day.  I did go out with him on the boat for a little while, again armed with a book.  I mostly took in the beautiful scenery of the early morning peace on the lake.  After a while, we went back to the cabin.  On a whim, I had decided to bring Shelly Schwinn mountain bike, so I loaded her into the boat and Hubby motored me across the lake to a public launching area.  He was going to continue fishing, so I thought I would take Shelly out on the fabulous dirt roads around the lake, get a little exercise, and maybe see the infamous bear.  As I pedaled on the smooth dirt road, I could feel the mountain biking gods shaking their heads in disgust.  "Poor Shelly.  She is not being used to her full potential.  She must be bored stiff riding those dirt roads," the mountain biking gods were saying.  Well, too bad.  I was having a blast!  The road was continuously up and down so I was getting a great workout.  The scenery was breathtaking.  As I pedaled, I could feel Shelly relaxing into her new role as a dirt road bike, not a mountain bike.  Shelly and I made our way, the road getting rougher and narrower as we pedaled deeper and deeper into the wilderness.  I knew I would see the bear any moment now.  We crested a hill and there, in the clearing of a large grassy meadow was...a gigantic house and two huge barns.  I guess we were not as deep in the wilderness as I thought.  I continued on around the lake, 20 miles in all.  It was a great ride, and Shelly and I reached a level of understanding on her new role.

Monday morning we rose with the sun.  I looked out the bedroom window and said, "Look!  Look out the window!"  There standing a few feet off the edge of the deck was...a large fox.  It was beautiful.  Huge fluffy tail and sleek coat.  It was slowly making it's way up the hillside.  We watched it for a while and then got packed up and ready to head home.

It was a fabulous weekend.  The weather was perfect, the sun was warm, and we loved just being out in nature.  I never did see that silly bear.  I guess that means I have to go back again...