I missed taking the perfect picture by mere seconds– Black bears in the wild

Have you ever seen something that took your breath away?

Yesterday while at Occupational Therapy for a frozen shoulder (long story, don’t ask) I had just finished being tortured exercised by Candee, my OT.   She moves my arm for me to try to loosen the shoulder joint, and hopefully, break up some of the adhesions preventing my arm from properly gliding in the socket.

After Candee got done abusing helping me I was laying on the matted table with heat on my shoulder, my shoulder feeling so much worse with excruciating, throbbing pain I could barely handle better.  (Hi Candee!).

Before I get to the good part I need to give you little set-up.  At the facility, there’s one massive room filled with exercise machines and matted beds positioned around the outside walls.  Physical Therapy happens on the matted beds against the end walls and Occupational Therapy occurs on the matted beds against the wall facing the back property.  Tall windows enveloped the entire room.  And outside those windows is a wide open field of manicured kelly green grass.  A second layer of pine needled earth borders the field but encircles it with a high edge, almost as if the field is an empty swimming pool and the edge the cement platform where you place beach chairs.  Next to the raised edge:  thick wooded terrain hugs three sides, the parking lot on the other.

In the center of the room is every kind of exercise equipment you can imagine.  All with built-in TVs and headphones.  Once a patient is done with therapy they have the option of signing up to use the facility as a gym.  An exercise expert (I forget her real title) sets up a program designed especially for your physical needs.  Because of this option the place gets packed most days, and yesterday was no exception.   Mainly the patrons are elderly people who are trying to beat the aging process as well as gain their quality of life back.

As I’m laying with my heating pad silently cursing thanking Candee for her help torture someone yells, “Bear!” and points out the line of windows in front of me.

I jolt up, holding the heating pan on my shoulder, and see the most amazing thing.

An enormous black bear lumbered along the raised edge of the field.  Taking his time like he was just out for his early morning stroll.

My first thought was to grab my cellphone and take a picture.  He was that close!  But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the bear long enough to slide my bag out from under the mat.

The black bear had to weigh at least 250lbs.  He had a velvety black coat that shimmered in the sunlight, thick legs that looked more like tree trunks, paws the size of my head (slight exaggeration) and a cocoa brown muzzle.

What a majestic animal!

This incredible creature ambled halfway around the field, stopped, and then rose up on his hind legs glaring at all of us staring back in awe.

  At that moment I screamed, “What a perfect picture!  Where’s my camera?  I need to get my camera!”

I scrambled to quickly grab my bag while keeping one eye on the bear.

“Hurry, he’s going to leave!”  Candee said.  “You’re going to miss him, Sue.  Hurry!”

My hands were crazily feeling around underneath my seat searching for my bag.  I finally managed to hoist up my purse, withdraw my phone, and was tapping the touchscreen to bring up the camera when the bear dropped down to all fours, turned and walked off into the woods.

“Too late,”  announced Candee.

“Damn!”

Had I immediately gotten my cellphone the minute we saw him I would’ve had plenty of time.  We watched him for at least five full minutes!  He was in no hurry.  But since I delayed I missed the perfect shot.  Typical.

Have you ever gotten the perfect shot of something you thought was the best thing since sliced bread?  Tell me about it in the comments and/or link the photo so I can see what you captured.