Sep 2013 – Oct 2013

We had to do it.

At first I thought we really didn’t have to.  What I really wanted to do was spend the day playing games on the lanai.  Instead we spent the day driving around the island.  The drive only reinforced my feelings about rather wishing that I was sitting on the lanai playing games instead of driving around the island.

I’ve already seen Iguazu Falls.  Few waterfalls left in the world are going to impress this bear.

Well at least now I can say we did it.  Now back to the lanai.

Tonight, I learned that manta rays are freaking huge.  Like the size of boats.

This I determined by comparing the size of mantas to the kayak boats that were busy shining big lights at the big mantas.

Which only makes me want to surf them all the more.  I mean, they fly through the water like I fly through the air.  It’s like a match made in heaven.  Or Hawaii.

That’s right, you’re looking at him.

So for Nicholas’ birthday his actual present was a trip to Hawaii.  So we went and promptly sat on the lanai to play games by the sea.

This is how we do it.

Can we say, “ready to play”?

Nicholas’ sister got married today, and while I didn’t actually make it to the ceremony and reception (Nicholas forgot to bring me to the wedding) at least I got to relax in the cabin that was right next to the main lodge where the wedding took place.

So it’s almost like I was at the wedding.

Except that I wasn’t.

So instead I took a walk.

I walked by some cows.

Aggravated some dogs.

Went back to the cabin and ate all of Nicholas’ chips.

Then did some photobombing for a good measure.

It’s what happens when you forget to take me to the wedding.  Jerks.

It’s my best bear bud’s birthday and we did it country-fair style.

Corn maze.

Pumpkin patch.

Caramel apples the size of my head.

Birthdays should happen more often.

Truth is I was actually taking Nicholas to Hawaii for his birthday, but I liked making him think that about all he was going to get from his bear bud for his birthday was a trip to the pumpkin patch.

Buongiorno visitor.

Didn’t see me coming did you?

That’s because I was stealthily sneaking by you on my way to swat the annoying spiders that are invading my living space wearing the Assassin’s Creed outfit that Nicholas made for me.

Requiescat in pace, suckers!

Late afternoon.

It is raining, as it always does.  A steady patter of water strikes the windows and walls of the workshop.

Within the workshop, there is a bear.  And his bud.  Both are silent.

The bear sits and watches with intense concentration, completely fixated on the task at hand.  With every stitch, an object begins to take form.

The bear continues to watch.  It is coming closer to completion.

It is a hat.  His hat.

Finally it is done.  He leans over and examines the finished work.

Then, with a nod of satisfaction, he dons the Fedora hat.

He is now ready.

Thanks for making me a hat Nicholas!  This dapper bear is ready to play detective in LA Noir!

My best bear bud and I were acting like good old fashioned law abiding citizens when we got kind of arrested going across the Canada / US border today.

Well, to be precise, we got surrounded by cop cars and drug dogs, and then my best bear bud was removed from the car,  handcuffed and taken away from me to a detainment room where he was searched and interrogated.

I tried my best to save my bear bud and had my paws up ready to put up a fight, but I guess Nicholas thought we’d better not make a scene so I composed myself and instead grumpily surveyed our surroundings.

Glaring wasn’t forbidden so I continued to glare as hard as I could at the dogs who tried to sniff me and at the police officers who were searching the car for drugs, of which of course there were none.  There wasn’t even any chocolate in the car!  And here Nicholas thought having me leave my laser behind would make the border crossing smoother.

40 minutes into the ordeal they finally released us when they realized we weren’t smuggling drugs or guns.  After all we were being good law abiding citizens.

It’s was just a bud and his bear having a road trip.  Why on earth did they decide to stop us?  Jerks.  They delayed our ETA to my resumption of gaming.  At least Nicholas was amused.

This bear, however, was not.