In 2011 I bumbled into a blog called Out of My Multiple Minds. The title caught my attention. It sounded like a topic I'd be interested in. It was not about multiple minds but it was a fascinating blog to follow. It was also a blog that influenced my life.
I think I found Out of My Multiple Minds on DJan's blog and the blogger Pete turned out to be DJan's brother in law.
I found that Pete had a well written and lively blog.
Soon I found out that Pete was very ill but he was full of energy and intensely curious.
Shortly after I was saddened to find out that Pete was dying.
I followed Pete for about 3 months as he courageously journaled the end of his life. Pete blogged until a few days before his death. He dictated the last couple of posts as he was too ill to do the typing. His wife or daughter wrote a couple of final posts. The blog has been since taken down.
So on my own blog I wrote a post entitled Polar Bears in My House. This caught Pete's attention and he wanted to know all about the polar bears. Most of all he wanted to see a photo. I had said that I would try to get photos. However, you know the story...the slides were not scanned and at that time I didn't know how to scan slides. If you read the post you will see Pete's comment...one of two comments I got.
Well, I'm scanning slides and the first ones I scanned were of the little polar bears that had been in my house. So because I'd promised Pete the photos , here they are.
The Inuit hunters shot the mother bear and then found out that she had cubs. They brought the cubs into me as they wanted money for the cubs. I was the local administrator for the federal govt. I couldn't give them money but did alert authorities that the bears were here.
I am sure Pete would have liked seeing your slides! I read his blog too...he had quite a time of it.
ReplyDeleteI will never forget the struggle he had.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteHow sad the mother bear was shot, what would happen to the cubs?
Take care, have a happy day!
If left, these cubs would not have survived. The male went to the Calgary zoo and lived 40 years.
DeleteO poor bears they lost their mother. Glad they were picked up and well cared for by humans.
ReplyDeleteThe hunters knew the female had cubs and spent a lot of time looking for the den.
DeleteAww ... what an experience.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of those once in a lifetime happenings.
DeleteOh, such a sweet little orphan! Thank you for taking the time and energy to fulfill this promise to Pete. If he is still around in any form, I'm sure he appreciates it. I sure do.
ReplyDeleteThe one bear went to the Calgary zoo and lived for 40 years.
DeleteI go in spurts. The blogs I read nearly daily had sadly dwindled to a hand full so for the last couple of months, I have been seeing what blogs others read and adding to my list, which is how I found your blog. Now I have a nice number to read every morning.
ReplyDeleteI've been blogging for probably 17 years now. It saddens me sometimes to think of all the good bloggers I used to converse with that are no longer here.
Bloggers disappear for various reasons. Sometimes they just get tired and quit. It would be nice if they just said goodbye.
DeleteWow! You really did have little polar bears in your house. What a wild experience that must have been. The story about Pete is very touching. Nice of you to shout out into the universe to Pete and fulfilling the promise.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the link and see the original post.
DeleteIt certainly sounds as if you have had a very adventurous and interesting life, Red. Bears in the house! Glad you were able to help them out. Going through your slides will bring us many amazing stories from you, I bet!
ReplyDeleteI am a blog reader and have had several blog posters die and it always feels as if I have lost a true friend even tho we had never met.
I'm still having an interesting life! Funny how many things I completely forgot about until I see the old slides.
DeleteA wonderful and sad story, glad you kept the promise to show the photos.
ReplyDeleteIt was an exciting time when the hunters entered the house with the little bears. It was so sudden. The hunters were excited too.
DeleteHow wonderful that you are able to show these bears now. Pete's story is very sad but amazing that he blogged to the end. That little bear cub is so cute! I hope the cubs ended up in a good home.
ReplyDeleteThe male ended up in the Calgary zoo for 40 years.
DeleteI often think about bloggers from our past.
ReplyDeleteI never cease to be fascinated by the interesting things you have done.
It's surprising how many bloggers just disappear.
DeleteStrange to see them indoors.
ReplyDeleteIt was probably a lot stranger for them. they were not happy and very snarly. One gave me a good nip on the hand
DeleteHow sad for the little bears. What an experience for you, though — to be so close to polar bears. I have a handful of bloggers that I miss too. It’s nice when someone leaves a note on their blog saying that they have died. Otherwise I always wonder what happened to them. I’m sure Paul will leave an explanation on my blog someday, if I go first.
ReplyDeleteI held one in my arms. They were very ill tempered. I have instructed my daughter to wind up my blog. I can put her on the blog as a writer.
DeleteSo sad to say goodbye to a blogging friend. Some can become more than virtual to us.
ReplyDeleteOkay you are the first person I have ever known to have a polar bear in their house!
Pete described every step of his journey. I'm lucky the bears were little. Adults sometimes break into houses.
DeleteThe male cub went to the Calgary zoo and lived for 40 years. I'm not sure what happened to the other bear.
ReplyDeleteBill Hess, a photographer and documenter of the Inupiat people, wrote about a couple walking home when they were attacked by the a polar bear. The young man fought the bear with a pen knife. He was killed but his girlfriend managed to get away.
ReplyDeleteQuite a different story from the black bear we have in my part of the world.
That's amazing to have that wonderful memory of having the polar bear cubs in your house and fulfilling Pete's request. What an amazing guy he must have been, to be so caring to his blogging friends to let them know what was happening. I need to have that chat with my family, or at least put it in some of our important papers.
ReplyDeleteSad story about Pete. It's good that you were with him in spirit as his life faded away. As for the baby polar bears - it's a good job they did not reach full sizes under your guardianship. Otherwise there would be no "Hiawatha House"!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know DJan's brother-in-law had a blog before he passed away. That is so sad. DJan has had such sadness in her life but she keeps a cheerful outlook. I do so admire her. I guess that strength must lie in her entire family.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh! Polar bear cubs in the house? That's amazing! Sad that they lost their mother though.
heartwarming post dear Red !
ReplyDeleteyou kept your promise,i loved there images ,bear in image is so cute ,i only saw polar bears in geographic shows ,i wish i can visit Alaska to witness these beauties ,how sad that their mother was shot ,and this was nice of you to look after them until authorities take charge !
i really admire such people who have such tremendous amount of strength and never seek for sympathy because they go with flow and they do so with faith in nature and in themselves .
when (now with my new understanding to life) i see people fearing from death and avoiding talking about it i feel pity ad uncomfortable with their narrow way of thinking,i think if i learn i will die next day i will take this knowledge as privilege and my remaining life a gift to enjoy to it's fullness