Bear-sized Trains!

Last weekend, Polar helped us into our bear bag and sat us on the back seat of the car, alongside a bag of clothes and her camera bag.

'Where are we going?' Hanley asked.  We guessed it might be an overnight adventure.

'We are visiting our friends Chrissie and Alan,' said Grizzly.

I was very pleased, because I remembered giving Chrissie some flowers when they visited Uppie.  They are also the human guardians of my friend Cameo, who is a Welsh Springer Spaniel.  I met Cameo last year during my voyage on Uppie the narrowboat, but she had not met Hanley or Endon and I was rather worried she might think they were toys for her to chew and bite them before I could properly introduce them!

'We should all stay in Polar and Grizzly's room at first, just in case,' I said to the other bears.  We made ourselves a cosy bear bed out of some lovely fluffy towels and although we could smell scrummy soup, we didn't come down for lunch.

The humans spent almost all afternoon talking to each other and, in the evening, went out for dinner.  When they had gone, I climbed down the stairs and found Cameo, resting in her doggy bed after a long walk.  

'If I bring my friends to meet you, you won't bite them, will you?' I asked.

She promised not too, and soon the smaller bears and I were chatting away happily with her, hearing all about her adventures on her narrowboat and the walks she likes through the orchards and across the fields.  She even shared some of her dog-biscuits with us, although we had trouble gnawing through them.  However, when she said how much she liked chasing squirrels Hanley and Endon got quite nervous, as Endon is very fluffy and could be mistaken for one if he had a bigger tail.  This seemed a good point to go back up to our room.

Cameo told us her humans had a surprise for us the next day, so we settled down for an early sleep.  In the morning, Chrissie drove us to a garden centre, but we had not come to look at the plants.  There was a wonderful miniature railway running lots of small bear-sized engines.  We were so excited!

'Can we drive one?' asked Hanley Bear, who had already chosen a little red engine he wanted.

'There is too much hot coal and steam about for small bears to be engine drivers,' said Grizzly.  'But we can certainly travel behind, as passengers.'   

We thought the humans looked funny sitting in the little waggons, which were a much better size for small bears and human cubs than grown ups.  We had a lovely journey, waving to the big railway bears who helped to look after the grounds and watching the other steam engines following us.  

We waited patiently in our bear bag, talking to Cameo, while Polar took photos of the other steam engines and Grizzly talked to the drivers.  'It was my idea to come here,' said Cameo.  'I can't go on the trains, but I knew you would like them.'

'That was a very kind thought,' I replied.  'I hope you can have a nice walk and some treats as a reward.'

We got caramel shortbread for elevenses and then we did have a nice walk, through a pretty village full of funny little houses with roofs made of straw.  We also found some big quinces and some sweet chestnuts on the ground, which we smuggled into Grizzly's rucksack when he wasn't looking.  

As we were driven back to Cameo's house, we saw a hot air balloon being launched.  'That will fly right over our house,' Cameo told us. 'Climb up on the hedge for a good look!'

As soon as we got to Cameo's house we scrambled out of our bear bag and, sure enough, the balloon flew over us.

'Wow!' cried little Endon Bear.  'Wouldn't that be fun?'

Hanley Bear agreed but I wasn't so sure.  I'm quite a cautious small bear and I like to keep my paws on solid ground, except when I am on a canal boat!