Feline, Ursine, Summertime

Am I the only one who notices that as summer rears its hot head and sensible people head inside, to get out of the sun, the sensibilities of the nation, if there are any, are being taken over by cats and bears?

If you're on Facebook, you see the veritable plethora of cat photos all day long.  You won't hear me complaining about that! I love cats.  If there is anything cuter than a little tabby cat prancing around like the King or Queen of Sh'Boom, I don't know what it would be.  Cat photos!  All day!  Cats being cute.  Cats outwitting dogs (always an easy matter.) Cats riding surfboards, cats hanging around seafood restaurants, cats looking haughty.  Cats dressed as doctors, cats napping, cats serving as governor of Arizona. 

And then, if you get off Facebook for a minute to watch the news, even the nightly network newscasts are featuring video of bears running around.  These videos would normally be the exclusive province of the chatty morning shows, but now that everyone carries video equipment in their pocket, there is more video of bears to be shared than can fit into a two-hour morning show, since they have to make room for Tyler Perry, Katy Perry, Steve Perry and periwinkle shoes.

It's bear mania all across the US of A! Bears eating campers' lunches!  Bears swimming in peoples' pools! Bears chasing each other around, bears disrupting graduation exercises outside in early June, bears sticking their snouts into cars at Jellystone Park and asking for chow.  Last night the news showed a baby bear locked in a garage, climbing all over the rail for the door opener, and the bear's mom opening the bay door with one swipe of her paw, and coming to the cub's rescue.

And of course, now that bears are almost as domesticated as dogs, you will see them sitting at the picnic table, waiting for the burgers 'n' franks to come off the grill.  You can ask this one, but I don't think he will take his elbows off the table.

Wouldn't it be funny as all-get-out if these weren't really bears, but wacky Tea Party stalwarts playing another practical joke on a nation starved for humor? I mean, they're not getting much attention walking around waving misspelled protest signs and pistols, so why not dress up like a bear and be seen on Good Morning, America?