Bears visit the Olympic Flame Centre in Vancouver!

August 2010

In August Mary Margaret and Donald Angus had their first big adventure in Vancouver, BC, when they accompanied Corinne to the Canadian Society of Transplantation Conference. Here we are sitting in front of the Olympic Flame near the Convention Centre in downtown Vancouver. We were hoping we might see a grizzly bear buy we were the only bears to be seen...

Donald Angus Travels to the Great Canadian North!

August 31st to September 7th, 2010

Donald here! I’m just writing to tell you all about my recent adventures in the Great Canadian North! Being a caper and all, I never pictured myself travelling to Nunavut, but I got an invite from Uncle Jimmy to accompany him to visit cousin Lesley! What an opportunity for adventure!! So I packed my tartan cap, jumped into Jimmy’s bag and we headed straight out.

The trip up was a little rough. Those Air Canada baggage handlers are not considerate of us luggage travellers! But I arrived with only a few wrinkles in my tartan.

Uncle Jimmy and I had many great adventures while we were in Iqaluit. That’s on Baffin Island almost at the Arctic Circle! Lesley took us hiking every day. Luckily I didn’t get as tuckered out as ol’ Jimmy since I rode in Lesley’s pack most of the time.

The scenery was spectacular! I even got to sit on a real Inukshuk! Now the people will know I was here, hee hee.

One night we saw these green lights in the sky! They’re called Northern Lights and they were really fu to watch. They don’t have anything like that back in Cape Breton.

It was just the beginning of fall in the North (it comes awfully early up there!), so the tundra was awash with many stunning fall colours, just like the trees at home!

The best part of the whole trip though was when Lesley took Jimmy and I on this big fast boat and we went for a ride out on the Bay. Here’s Lesley and Jim in their survival suits (I took this one!). They didn’t have a survival suit small enough for me so I had to hide in Lesley’s bag.

We saw a real ice berg and then I saw three of my distant cousins! White bears!! I couldn’t believe my eyes. There they were up on the cliff. I tried to call out to them, but they must not have understood my Cape Breton accent.

Altogether is was a fantastic adventure for me, a humble teddy bear from Cape Breton! Where will I be off to next??

Mary Margaret from Cape Breton: Mary Margaret Photos from Halifax to Australia

My Travels with Jo & Ow

Hi Everybody,

Mary Margaret here. I am a Travelling Bear from Cape Breton. My brother Donald Angus & I decided we would go our separate ways and travel all year, sharing our stories with you all as we go. We got a photo taken with Nanny O'Donnell, August 10th, 2010, the day we decided to travel, gave each other "Bear Hugs",then got busy packing for our Big Trips!

Donald Angus & I enjoyed our vacation together in Dartmouth. The highlight of our trip there was going to the Beach with our cousins, Sammy & Hunter. We chased each other around the beach all afternoon and we enjoyed a Picnic.

I headed out to Australia August 18th with Uncle Ow & Auntie Jo. I enjoyed Montreal Airport, and even learned a bit of French. Merci Madame, Ici mon Passporte, Ou est la toilettes?....important stuff!

The Air New Zealand Staff were very nice and were not surprised to see a bear on the flight. They belted me in, gave me a head set and a TV flicker, and I was good for 16 hrs.
People thought it was a long flight, but I am used to hibernation, so 16 hrs was nothing.

We arrived in Australia after crossing the International Date Line....wow, we jumped ahead 24 hours in a split second. I stayed awake for that.

We spent a few nights with Great Uncle Russ and Great Auntie Linda on the Gold Coast, then headed out to pick up 'Casey' in Quarantine, whatever that is. Ends up that Casey is a very large white dog. We became friends instantly. I drove the car one day, but only in a parking lot.

I also met chicken, who has been travelling with Auntie Jo & Uncle Ow for 12 years. He is very noisy!

We slept in tents and cabins, and even at a truck stop one night. It was very cold in New South Wales. It was still winter. As we drove North the weather got very warm and we kept on driving until we were all hot. Jo kept saying.."Keep Driving, Ow, further north, further north.

We saw kangaroos hopping around outside our cabin one evening. I wanted to chase them, but I could not reach the door knob.

Auntie Jo & Uncle Ow say that 'the weather suits their clothes' up North.

Kinda neat how it gets hotter as you go North and Colder as you go South in Australia.

We arrived in Cairns at Great Auntie Gaye & Great Uncle Ron's place around the end of August, and it was very hot & beautiful. Casey and I swim every day in their pool.

There are so many beautiful beaches here. Ow says there are SHARK NETS at every beach.

Casey & I aren't allowed to swim at the beach because of the sharks, whatever they are.

I learned about snakes & spiders and which are dangerous. I rub fast when I see any of them. I saw the biggest spider in the yard.....The Golden Orb. It is bigger than me!!!! I ran.

OMG, we went to The Crocodile Farm yesterday. It is not open to the Public.

MY NEW FRIEND, Jason, is a real live Crocodile Hunter and he works there. He made sure I did not fall in! It was awesome!!!!!

I can tell you anything you want to know about Australia....From a Bear's Perspective, of course!

My trip to Australia is almost finished. It is awesome here.

Looking forward to hearing from you all.

Love,

Mary Margaret from Cape Breton

Sept 25th, 2010

Hi Everybody,

It's very hot today, especially with all this fur. Auntie Jo got me a new swim suit, and Casey & I swam in the pool all morning. Casey let me crawl on his back while he swam. Jo just missed a great photo opportunity.

Sept 29th, 2010 Cairns, Australia

Hi Everybody,

Big day today, I headed off fom Australia and am travelling to Canada to see my Uncle Jim and Auntie Gayle, and their son Brent and wife Celine ,and their son, William. I look forward to visiting with them. I have never been to Ottawa. I read that Ottawa is the Capital of Canada. I will have lots of time to read during my trip.

I am really getting around for a little Bear from Cape Breton.

Talk to you all soon.

Love,

Mary Margaret from Cape Breton