The bear took in the last of the autumn sun. Inhaling the rapidly cooling air. It had all gone by too fast this time. Today had been the last day of hyperphagia for the brown bear. He’d been eating and drinking nearly nonstop for months now! Preparing for the winter and for hibernation. He’d been very active reacently. He’d had to be hunting for food and sourcing out a place to den for the colder season. He’d settled (eventually after much indecision) on a cosy cave surrounded by trees. It was warm inside and there was a perfect amount of room. Just enough to curl up in comfortably but not quite enough for anything else to intrude on him during his deep slumber.

He made sure to memorise the last of his favourite sights. To seal them into his memory so that they might just reappear in his dreams. He stared at the trees intently for a Moment or two. The leaves were at there best at this time of the year. Or Atleast that’s what the brown bear thought. They littered the floor creating an almost sea of oranges, browns and reds like a serene summer sunset, mottled colours bleeding into one another as the sky Changed state.

“It is time” the bear thought to himself sadly as he turned and padded into his den. He lay down slowly taking deep breaths as he settled down for sleep . Later he would look back and realise how fast he’d fallen into slumber that year. Usually he took a minute to remember his adventures from the summer time. Racing through the trees and playing with the other young bears. But not that year. I suppose you don’t realise how tired you are until it’s time to solve it.

The wonderful world transformed again as the bear rested. The weather only got colder so cold infact that by the winter icicles decorated the outside of the cave like festive bunting and snow covered the ground like a blanket made from whipped cream. The occasional brown leaf wasn’t impossible to come across on the icy ground but the sightings were rare enough. And the trees themselves… well there wasn’t a leaf to be seen. It was almost like they’d been stripped of all there warm clothes just as the weather had got bitter and the chill had begun to bite. With an exception of the evergreens of course which provided the only the colour amongst all the white. Three green leaves only seeming to get greener.

And then, almost too suddenly the world changed once more. The trees began to bud and when the leaves came out they were bright and yellow tinted with only a hint of green. And not long after that something large and brown emerged from a cosy hill top cave. Tired and yawning as it looked down upon the world.

The brown bear smiled to himself. Time flies when your fast asleep he thought to himself as he looked at the world with new eyes.

The bear was now in two Minds about something. Maybe, just maybe…

He liked the leaves best in spring….