Excitement bounced from wall to wall this special morning. Everyone had gotten up very early. Bea was at it sooner than the others so she'd have plenty of time for her "my-be-good-to-myself" treat. She did her graduated weight lifting bringing the honey pots down. Returning them on her stepstool, they were a little lighter as she hefted them higher.

She even took time to do a little toe-touching exercise when she dropped a little drip on her left foot. Fortunately, it was the top of her foot and did not reach her claws. That would have been so much work it would have almost required a floor touching exercise.

Often while practicing one exercise she did another. Doing her brain exercise, she summarized. They now knew how to get safely across without having to dive or loop in and out as Scruffles had. She only hoped that whatever it was that had held them up would still be there when they carried out their dawn investigation exercise.

As they neared the strong-smelling swamp she stopped to do her talk to the Maker exercise. The 50 bees were beginning to buzz inside her. Soon thereafter she heard the comforting sound of happy bees humming around her. The fears and anxiety of the previous day seemed to have dissolved.

The crossing went surprisingly smoothly. Bea felt supported and held up out of the water which was the color Bea's Golden Path was now. They quickly and easily made it across. They soon were in position. They were hidden among a stand of fresh sweet-smelling fir trees but the creature would be in plain sight.

As Bea was enjoying the change of odor from the bog she did her notice exercise. Either the temperatures had changed quickly or the creature was later in its crossing. No, wait a minute, the fog was changing form. The creature must be nearing their hiding spot. As the hazy mist rose and swirled, Bea was sure she had spied the head of a bear! Was the creature part bear, like Bea? Were those legs just like sweet puppy's?

Bea's mom had never told her or warned her that such creatures existed. Imagine, a part-bear-part-puppy roaming throughout the countryside. With their necessary silence, she had no way of knowing if the others saw any of this or if it were just her wild imagination. Bea felt alone in her thoughts.

As the cloud lifted before her wee bear eyes, and the others, the fog dissolved into a bear. Two larger sweet puppies followed as she carried two smaller ones. That is all it was? Nothing to be afraid of? Just a mom with her own cute puppies? Uncertain what to do next, she waited until the potential friends had completely disappeared beyond the embankment.