New Arrivals--New Podcasts

Over the holidays we picked up a polar bear named Chili Bear aka Chilly Bear and a striped cat. The cat apparently has amnesia and that, along with Chili Bear, will roll into the novella's story line in Chapter Five. Below is a Christmas photo of Lady Jenny, Miss Maddy, Chili, Big Schlepp, Travel Schlepp, and the cat with no name.















For my birthday I received a takaan, a wooden teddy bear that was designed to be a papier-mâché mold. He's about 15" high and has a rather rigid pose, but looks to be a formidable part of the Home Front Brigade. He too will be worked into the story.

Speaking of which, another section of Chapter One has been recorded and we hope to have another podcast online this weekend.

New Podcast

As promised, I've uploaded chapter 1, part 1 of Schlepp's new novella. Can a small bear originally from Seal Rock, Oregon rescue his friend Lightfeather? How 'bout save the world? If that's not enough, he's got to save the entire galaxy! Good thing he's got lots of help--Terrance the Tortoise and Louie, a silver leaf monkey from New Orleans, not to mention the entire Bears Home Front Brigade.

More to come on approximately a weekly basis.

Fish & Wildlife Drag Feet While Interior Sells Out Polar Bears

From today's New York Times comes this scary little bit. Chili Bear, the new resident polar bear in the Home Front Brigade wants to bring it to everyone's attention.

The Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service has announced that early next month it will sell oil and gas leases on nearly 30 million acres of prime polar bear habitat in the Chukchi Sea. Meanwhile, the department’s Fish and Wildlife Service has postponed a long-awaited decision on whether to place this iconic and troubled animal on the list of threatened species.

This means that Bush and Cheney will give their buddies in the oil industry first whack at sensitive polar bear habitat while their Fish and Wildlife friends drag their feet on protecting polar bears. Yet within a few decades two thirds of all polar bears will be gone, including _all_ of Alaska's.

The Passing of a Great Beekeeper

We bears have an especially tender spot in our hearts for beekeepers, those selfless men and women who provide us with honey. Today the world is sadly without one of the greatest beekeepers ever, Sir Edmund Hillary. Its not every day that a beekeeper gets knighted, you know. Here is a photo of Sir Edmund along with Tenzing Norgay, the Shepa. Together they were the first climbers to ascend Mount Everest.

Not only a beekeeper and a climber, Sir Edmund was deeply committed to helping the Sherpa people. He built hospitals, schools, and airstrips throughout Nepal and dedicated himself to improving their lives. The Bears Home Front Brigade wishes to salute the passing of Sir Edmund and extends their condolences to all those who mourn his death.

He will not be forgotten.

Travel Schlepp Book Now Online

For New Year's Day, Schlepp is posting the first four chapters of his new novella. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for the podcasts of the same.