My summer vacation was short but I had fun going on many boat rides to pick berries, rod and reeling and checking out the sandbar.

On this one boat ride, Jake, Maurice and I were on our way to Willow for rodding when we saw Russel Lake at the mouth of Willow Creek. But we kept on going up the creek to our fishing place.

When we were coming home though, Russel said to stop and he pointed to a black bear on the right side of the creek. It was far away at first, but it had smelled the fish that Russel had left for the bear, and it was getting closer to it. The bear was taking its time observing the area as it was slowly walking toward the fish. It was interesting the way it just ambled along with its nose up in the air smelling its way along the bank. That was the first time I'd seen a wild black bear. When it finally stopped, it was right across from us, only about a hundred feet away.

Before the bear took the fish it made sure that we wouldn't do anything to it. When it first saw us it went into the trees. Then it came back out again to eat the fish. I got scared a couple of times when it came near the river. I thought it was going to jump in the water and swim out to us. But it never did.

After watching the bear for awhile longer we decided to go home. Seeing the bear so close just made me too scared to stay around any more.

By: Olga Moxie