The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

With all this social distancing going on it is becoming harder and harder to get out with family and do something exciting and new. Staying indoors can become tedious and mundane as we try and do the right thing and stay put. But there is something happening across America. Families are going on walks, and now there is something new to do while on your walk or drive as a family: Look for bears.

Yep, I said it, we can look for bears. Not the hungry brown type that digs in our garbage cans this time of year, but the cuddly, furry, stuffed type that may just be hanging in your neighbor’s window.

So, Monday night Karrie and I went on a bear hunt. This national phenomenon has reached Coulee Country, and I am told the surrounding communities as well. We drove through Electric City, Delano and Grand Coulee on Monday night, and we kept a tally of our findings. We were not disappointed.

We saw over 20 teddy bears in the windows of our community members. I am told (Mr. Poplawski) that we may have missed some as the sun was blinding our vision at sundown, so there are more out there. We also were texted by others (Cairo and family) that we must look high and low to find these mystical bears. Some bears were life-sized, some were quite small, some waved at us, and others were made of paper. But nonetheless, the bears were there to comfort us on our hunt. But bears were not the only creatures out.

Deer were out as well. We saw around 40 deer roaming the yards of fellow citizens. Including one buck that had not lost his horns yet for the year. We also encountered 52 turkeys, three eagles, two cats, three dogs, a window decorated with colored Easter pages, an Easter tree and a leprechaun. It was an awesome drive around the streets of the neighborhoods we call home. We plan on continuing our bear hunt in Coulee Dam and Elmer City later this week.

In times like these, we must dig deep and rally together as a community to ensure not only safety but fun with family. I can’t wait to see a family walking down the street and noticing a bear in our window. The pointing and smiles. Maybe even documenting each bear they find with a picture or a tally mark.

I challenge you all to put a bear in your window. It is not just about fulfilling a challenge, but more about creating a fun environment for our children who live within our boundaries to go outside and engage safely with our community. As more and more bears go up, so the happiness and joy of others will rise, as well. And maybe, just maybe, we will forget the fears that are swirling around us at this time. For a moment.

It is a new time for us as a people of earth. We don’t know how long any of this is going to last, but we can make the best of it. Even if that is simply putting a stuffed bear in the window to bring a smile to our fellow man. Imagine if every window had a bit of happiness looking back at us in every home, in every town. Now that would be special. Not just for this time, but for all times.