THE VIEW FROM MY DESK

[Loreth Anne White]

This is Oscar, the berry bear. I see him from my office window each day now as he comes to feast on a bush of ripe orange berries across the street. I know he's there when I hear the branches crashing.

And on my runs, I'm coming across one to four bears a day in the woods now, all eating madly and not at all interested in me -- apart from two very small cubs I was eager to back away from real fast before they steered mum my way.

There are so many bruins out foraging now that within the last six days nine have died. Most were killed on the small stretch of road that runs through our valley. Hit by cars. Horrible messy deaths. The others were shot for aggressive breaking and entering.

I'm thinking their hunger-driven bear bodies know something we don't -- that we're in for an early and cold winter. There you have it, forecast a la Loreth :)