The Secret Lives of Words column: Ursula, Ursa Major, and a few other bears
Rick LaFleur
A recent column on Florida’s black bears by retired extension agent Les Harrison brought back a mix of memories. When we bought a little cottage in Apalachicola on the Florida coast, the last thing I expected to see was black bears - gators, yes, and maybe feral hogs, but not bears. But as anyone who’s lived in the area very long is fully aware, there are plenty of them around, even prowling neighborhoods scavenging for trash-can treats.
Once while driving south on Highway 59 from Wacissa to 98, in a violent thunderstorm, a huge bear lumbered across the road, dark and vast and fast as a locomotive. On another trip, heading north up 65, we spotted a car disabled at the side of the road. When we stopped to see if we could help, the driver described his close encounter with a bear - the animal had sauntered off unharmed, but the car clearly required some pricey repairs.