Upon making my way out of my travel bag, I was greeted by the face of someone I did not know. We both gave a startled jump and I apologized profusely for my carelessness but the man was very nice and told me he understood. He must have met another wee bear before. After a brief talk he informed that I was on my way to Maine. It worried me at first, as mix-ups always do, but I quickly remembered that I had been there before. The man asked me if I needed any help. I said no, I had inconvenienced him enough. I thanked him and found myself a seat.
When the conductor came around to collect tickets I told her my situation, and that I did not have a ticket right now, but would gladly purchase one from her. Luckily this was not a problem. She listed all the stops the train was to make, and once I heard Wells, Maine I told her that would do. I’ve been there before, and while I’m there I’ll go to the Fisherman’s Catch and get my favorite fried clams. Things were looking up on my mistaken journey, and the ticket was only $19. This seemed very reasonable indeed. I paid my fare and settled in for a nice ride.
Once I got there I immediately had to find someplace to stay for the time being, so I found a nice big bush to stay in. It was oh so green and full, and in case any dangers came about, it provided ample ways to stay hidden. After getting settled in my new temporary homestead I took a little nap and woke up starving. It was time for the Fisherman’s Catch. I couldn’t wait to get some fried clams. I checked around before popping out of my bush and decided it was safe enough to walk. It took a little longer than I expected, what with my short legs and all, but just thinking of those golden fried clams made me hurry as fast as I could. I rounded a corner, and there it was, the Fisherman’s Catch, just waiting for me. Looking back, I should have realized what the story was when there were no cars in the parking lot, but I did not pay attention. I was too excited.
I ran up to the door, grabbed the handle and pulled as hard as I could. Nothing. Maybe it was a “push” door I thought? Nope. I could not understand what was happening until I looked up and read the sign: “Thank you for a great season!! The Catch will be reopening on May 3rd, see you all then!” I was heartbroken. After all that journeying my only salvation was the thought of those tasty fried clams, but it was not to be. For a little bit I sat on the rocks outside, just trying to think of what to do, or where to eat. I wandered around looking for places, but they all said the same thing, “See you next season.” But this was of no help to me. A little defeated, I scurried back to my bush to think of things to eat. What I ended up doing was just as fun though.
There is a supermarket nearby so I went in and looked around. What caught my eye was some Bison hotdogs. They’re just so tasty. So I bought some and the ingredients to make a good barbeque sauce with grilled onions. My first thought when I got home was on how to cook them, but then I remembered that we bears are outdoorsy folk, so I built a fire and ate out under the stars. It was so nice. I spent the rest of the weekend cooking out and sharing tales with passersby. One nice lady even stayed and had a drink and hot dog with me. She was grateful for my hospitality and thanked me before she got on her way.
Sometimes it’s nice to have a little alone time. I thought about a lot of things, and feel a lot better for doing so. My train ride home was also good, and guess who was there? The man whose backpack I was in! We sat and talked and he told me he had been worried about me all alone like that, but I assured him that I was okay, and I couldn’t have been happier about things. He liked that. The main thing I will always remember about the trip is that, even though you don’t plan for something, you can still have a good time. I must remember to take more of these spontaneous adventures; they are good for the soul.
