I have an overactive imagination. Stories get made up in my mind about the smallest of things and is one of the joys my wife and I share together as she does the same.  She is a great wildlife spotter, and we always come up with short stories about where an animal is headed and create life histories to explain away their different attributes. Her enthusiasm to create mythical stories help make encounters more interesting also. We have seen squirrels that fight imaginary unicorns away from their hoards, Ravens that secretly judge you, and elk who are just so tired of everyone else’s problems.

 

This black bear stood out for the silver in her fur that was reflected in the morning light. It may not have been very visible otherwise I do not think. 

 

So a life story was created imagining what the other animals thought of her. It wasn’t a mark of otherness. It was the reflection of all the storms she’d weathered, the quiet places she’d explored, and the strange kindness she carried.

 

An ethereal thought made this bear more special. Threaded through her thick fur were streaks of silver as if moonlight had permanently marked her. We imagined that other animals whispered about the Ghost Bear, believing she was a spirit that wandered between the realms of night and day.

 

Where others gathered at berry thickets, Silver roamed the deeper woods, the places where fog clung to the ground and the wind whispered secrets through the old pines.

​

-Tyler Thoren