Beary Good Books

I tell you — it is SO nice being able to read again. I've had progressive glasses for a little over a year, but trying to sit down and read a book was treacherous. I can read okay, but when it comes to sitting for long periods of time, I really struggled. With progressives, you have to move your head around to see in just the right spot of the lens. That's fine for when you're standing in the grocery store reading a food label, but not so much if you want to lie back on the couch and spend a few hours reading a book. Talk about strain! Anyway, I recently got new lenses put in my old reading glasses, and it's been a pure joy being able to read again.

I started Casey Anderson's book, The Story of Brutus, ages ago. As with several other books, I set it aside because of the frustration of not being able to read it due to my lagging eyesight. Anyway, I picked it back up yesterday and spent the rest of the day reading it. What a great story. I've seen Brutus before at his enclosure at the Montana Grizzly Encounter. It's right off Interstate 90 near Bozeman, MT. That's quite a ways from us, but we drive by it frequently when going to Billings where Nicole goes to college. It's a great place learn about grizzlies, so if you're ever in Montana, stop by and check it out. There is a fee, but the bears need all the support they can get. They have an awesome website too, which is linked above. Anyway, I've "met" Brutus, so to say, meaning that I've seen him and taken gobs of pictures of him. I have yet to meet Casey, but I hope to someday. His book is fascinating. If you're interested in grizzlies, or bears in general, I highly recommend it.

I also read this book below, Hiking with Grizzlies, by Tim Rubbert. This was another eye-opening book. I've read a lot of bear books that are mostly collections of horror stories about stupid people that put themselves and the bears at risk. I have a lot of those books. This book isn't one of them. It's more about ... well, it's about exactly what the title says ... Hiking with Grizzlies. It covers bear behavior and signs, what to look for, how to prepare yourself, and all the other basics of keeping yourself (and the bears!) safe. It's definitely a must-read if you ever plan to do any hiking in bear country.

So anyway, I'm really enjoying being able to read again. I've missed it so much. I'm not sure what I'll read next, but I have a big stack of books on my to-read list. One of those is aptly titled Do (Not) Feed the Bears, which kind of goes with my current reading trend. It's about the bears in Yellowstone NP and how they used to feed them. Bring on the bear dreams, I guess!