Bob’s letter from the Angel Tandem: The Wild West oops East

Hi Ya All,

Since my last letter we have travelled quite a bit further.

I figured out during that scary ride through the forest that I am really a grizzly bear. Well that is what the GOTF keeps calling me. But I have now discovered that the RA is also a grizzly because he keeps telling her to stop grizzling every time we come to a big hill which these days seems to be all the time.

We have been biking around the East Coast and managed to get all the way out to a light house at East Cape. On our way we chased wild horses down the road. I could see myself in that vintage TV show ‘Rawhide’ with a lasso. I only know about Rawhide because the oldies started singing “rollin rollin rollin, keep those doggies rollin”. Then a whole herd of horses came galloping down from the hills and joined in. Yeha! Only thing was they couldn’t, quite work out what kind of horse a tandem is when carries two people and a bear.

We had a great time in Waihau Bay where the movie “Boy” was filmed, you know the one directed by and starring Taika Waititi. Had I been around at the time of filming I’m sure I would have been in the film. I could have played Rocky. I have got a great imagination and special powers just like him.

I keep seeing these signs as we are riding which say “Bob’s Gas”. Bit rude don’t you think. I’m a very sweet smelling bear and usually smell like honey.But apparently my fame is spreading far and wide and now I am in energy.

In Tolaga Bay we had a farm stay for the night but because we arrived early we decided to peddle into town to gather a few supplies where we promptly got a puncture. The GOTF turned the bike upside down to remove the wheel but forgot to take me out of my pocket so I spent the next few hours on my head because instead of being a 5 minute job with one puncture, turned into 3 punctures and I was beginning to see the world in a new light. All the honey ran to my head and I got sticky ears.

Hills, hills, hills. To get to Gizzy,( that’s not Grizzly), we had to ride over humongous hills and I wasn’t the only grizzly by the end of the journey. But it was worth it to stay at Wainui Beach with Sue and Jamie because they had a bear as well and I think I fell in love. She’s my bear friend now.😍. While we were there Jamie got out of the camper van the wrong way and he also became grizzly cos his leg ended up in plaster.

Now I’m going to finish with a story I heard the oldies talking about the other day. It was when they had a boat and on one of their expeditions they went to Rangitoto Island, anchoring in Islington Bay. After they dropped their pick ( I am becoming a nautical bear) they noticed a small land bird flapping in the water, desperately trying to swim to shore which was a long way off. The RA put her hand over the side of the boat and amazingly this little bird, which normally would have flown away from human contact, began frantically flapping its wings and paddling itself towards her hand and, then willingly climbing into it. They took the little bird on board and it sat shivering on a towel. But after a few attempts to feed it, unsuccessfully, they decided that they needed to get it to land. So they put it in their dinghy and rowed it to shore. It made no attempt to escape at any time. They placed in a tree and hoped it would be ok. Now this story got me thinking about the kids that Bald Angels tries to help. When you reach out to kids in desperate situations, and as scared and desperate as they might be, they will usually take your hand with both of theirs and with their heart as well. I know because us Angel Bears are a part of that story. If you would like to extend a helping hand you can donate to the Bald Angels via the give-a-little page. It might also help to stop some grizzling from the two geriatrics as they battle their way up the the hills!

That’s all I have to report for now

Ever observant
Bob.