It’s morning in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. For this small black bear cub, that means it’s time to climb a tall pine tree! Gotta practice, right? This was one of three cubs sharing this tree and having fun, as mother bear guards the area below. Photographed along the Foothills Parkway near Wears Valley. Prints available.
Tag: animal
Climbing Bears
I photographed these climbing bear cubs yesterday morning along the Foothills Parkway in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, near Wears Valley.
The first sound I heard was probably the mother bear, moving through the underbrush near the base of the tree, down the hill approx. 50-feet away. Next, I heard (and soon observed) the three bear cubs climbing the pine tree, shredding bark under paw during their hurried ascent – it was like a sawmill with wood chips flying through the air! I also heard the mother bear snorting a few times, likely communicating with her cubs, or maybe reminding me to keep away from their space.
If you look closely near the top-right of the tree shown in the second picture, you can see a sibling cub perched among the branches.
You can visit my gallery to find prints of Bear 1 or Bear 2.
Polar Bear On Iceberg
Creature of The Mountain
Rodan? Godzilla?
Enjoy this science fiction based, three dimensional digital artwork of a mysterious creature emerging from its mountainous domicile. Will this gargantuous anomaly prove to be friend of man, or wreak havoc on a cataclysmic scale? Stay tuned to discover the fate of humanity! In the meantime, please visit my shops at Redbubble, Society 6 and Pixels, where you’ll find some really cool products available for sale.
Fish Bones
Rooster In The Morning
Rise & Shine
According to this rooster, it’s time to wake up. Better do so now, so as not to get on the wrong side of this ornery, disruptive character!
Now that you’re wide awake, you can visit my shop at Redbubble to discover some cool gifts and apparel items featuring this comical design. I’ll start the coffee…hope to see you soon!
Oh, Deer
Like A Sore Thumb
A winters morning frost brightened an otherwise drab, gray field, removing any likelihood that this lone deer could remain inconspicuous. Prints available.
A Bear Comes To Visit
The only person in the park and 2 miles deep into a forest hiking at the Pogue Creek Canyon State Natural Area – located in north central Tennessee – I was very surprised to discover that an adult male black bear had managed to quietly approach within 30 feet of me – a startling sight when I turned around! I estimated his weight to be twice mine …read more
Crashing Wave
Orange Exoskeleton
Reptile Scales
To what creature these jagged orange scales belong remains a mystery to this day, baffling a contingent of experts in the scientific community. Some variety of extinct dinosaur, perhaps, or possibly an old timer having lived for decades in an arid climate. No one really knows…
To learn more, visit my shops at Society 6 and Pixels for cool merchandise options.
Tale of A Cat
Growing up on Lake Superior in the upper peninsula of Michigan, in the small city of Marquette, our family always had pets. And, at one point, we owned a black-and-gray striped cat named Bootsy.
He was an indoor-outdoor cat, and, when inside, enjoyed sitting by the large picture window in the living room, at the front of the house.
There were lots of kids in the neighborhood at that time, so it was common for friends to come over and visit. We also had a doorbell with a glowing light.
Once, the doorbell rang and I went to see who it was, opening only the main door but not the screen door. I looked but nobody was there.
At that time, a common prank which children enjoyed was called ditching doorbells – ringing someone’s doorbell & running away.
Assuming this was the case, I closed the door and began to walk back into the house. Just then, it rang again. I turned around quickly and opened both doors, stepping out on to the front porch to see who it was – but, there was no person in sight.
However, an explanation quickly became apparent. It was our cat!
As the front porch was visible from the living room window, he could see people come to our house, press the glowing doorbell, hear the sound of the doorbell, and then watch us react by opening the door.
On his own, Bootsy learned he could get on the milk box, and then jump up on top of the mailbox, from which he could lean against the doorbell, letting us know when he wanted to come inside. That education was a game-changer for a cat.
The question: did we own the cat, or did he own us? I think the latter.
© 2021 Phil Perkins
Bigfoot In Shades
Meet Sasquatch
Incognito sporting a pair of sunglasses in the backwood forests of the Pacific Northwest, a relative of the Yeti – the North American Sasquatch – enjoys the peace and quiet of a nomadic life among the trees. Of course, it’s possible this is just some guy wearing an ape suit…so, always exercise caution ☑️
