Orange County Nature Writing

A literary celebration of the natural beauty of this place

All photos by Thea Gavin unless otherwise credited. Web site  created by  Thea Gavin (who should perhaps stick to making compost).  ©2008 ocnaturewriting.com. Last update 8/24/08.

In Santa Ana, a shoe store

put her hide out on display in the front window.

It drew old-timers like . . . honey draws a bear.

They hungrily gazed

and re-hashed their hunting glory days.

“That ain’t nothin’ but a common black bear,”

one gentleman declared, and so began

yet another grizzly skirmish:

Adkinson and Joplin were not pleased

to have aspersions cast their way;

with pride they pointed to the three-inch claws—

no California black bear sported daggers

of such wicked length.

 

It took the highest

of government authorities to settle

the dispute: the USDA’s chief biologist

in Washington D.C. received the pelt

and skull with many thanks and sent them back

a letter: “Indeed it was an old

female grizzly. We are very glad

to have this specimen for our Museum

where it will remain forever labeled

with your names.”

 

 

Adapted from the information in Shadows of Old Saddleback by Terry Stephenson, The Fine Arts Press, 1948.

By Thea Gavin