Berry season has begun, and my baskets are already being filled. I always reach the salmonberry grounds and find myself taking as many tastes as I can. I love the way I can pluck them right from the tundra and eat them side by side with the bears. And there are a many bears this year. The salmon run was slow to come, so the bears are avidly awaiting the arrival of the berries. They like them perhaps even more than I do. And we share the same harvesting grounds, so it's only my luck that a majority of my berries have been stolen by something with very big tracks. But nevertheless I have gathered a basketful and a stomacheful and I am content. I'll leave the rest for the big furry creatures that need them a bit more than I do. For I am not blessed enough to sleep through the winter, I only hibernate at night.
