Where's Big Blue?

And into the dark and depressing abyss of election antics, “fake news,” divisiveness affecting local neighborhoods and global communities alike and other generally negative stuff consuming us on a daily basis, steps the Blue Bear?

Here on our beloved North Point Peninsula, a neighborhood post-Halloween prank has taken on a life of its own and brought smiles to hundreds of faces, if local Facebook conversations are any indication.

"In this world of elections, anger, hostility and gun violence, this silly bear brought me joy," Edgemere resident Nancy Leshko Short wrote in a message to me when I asked her what she knew about this saga. "I know it is ridiculous to think that a huge blue bear can bring joy, but a moment of joy was what it brought."

This story apparently began on Thursday morning, when a large stuffed blue bear was spotted hanging from a beltway mile marker near Cove Road. Comments were made on Facebook about it, with some cryptic, in-the-know comments from folks who implied they knew who did it.

It wasn’t long before photographic proof of the bear hanging out at the mile marker was posted, with several people snapping shots and sharing comments about how the sighting made their day as they made their way to work.

This large stuffed bear was spotted on the Baltimore Beltway late this week. Facebook photo

Then it was reported the bear had made its way to the iconic NPP entrance sign and garden at North Point Road and North Point Boulevard. Some conspiracy theorists claim a different bear camps at the entrance sign, and there do seem to be some differences in the bears when photos are compared.

“No, that’s not the same bear — it’s an imposter,” Rick Rosen said in the social media thread about the travels of the toy.

In any case, it’s good to see community members come together and get a few laughs out of something fun and mindless. 

“Whoever brought the blue bear closer to home, thank you!" Nancy Short wrote on Facebook after spotting the toy at the entrance sign. “I just saw him and it made me laugh! He is directly in the spotlight! Good job!”

A traveling stuffed bear has made its way to the North Point Peninsula entrance sign. Facebook photo

Mike Pecoraro posted that he hopes “nobody touches that sacred bear.”

One resident recommended that someone take the bear to Burnout, a locally famous fall bonfire gathering.

“Is this like Elf on a Shelf?” Darlene Lumpkin asked. “Blue Bear in the Hood?”

Edgemere resident Carolyn Daneker wrote that she saw the folks who put the bear at the community entrance and said “they were laughing and having fun.”

Sharon Faul-Schelhause was appreciative of the prank while also seeming to issue a Where's Waldo-like challenge.

“Whoever this is, you are the greatest!” she wrote. “Thanks for giving this community a smile I wonder where he/she will be next. hmmmmmmm”

I’ll keep you posted with Blue Bear in the Hood spottings.

And I add my heartfelt thanks to those responsible for having the community discussing such a lighthearted topic.