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Art by Ingrid de Jong

Neus

Acryl op doek, 60x80 cm

Sooooo, is that nice! Great to finally be able to shake all that water out of my fur. I immediately feel a lot lighter. That may look like I have energy to spare, but appearances can sometimes be very deceiving. Any idea how far I had to swim today to find some food? For hours on end and for miles! I wouldn't be surprised if I covered 75 kilometers today. So far I've been lucky, but it's becoming a recurring problem. What good is all my good qualities if everything around me changes? Yes, I am big and strong; weigh a few hundred kilos and have a bear condition. My fur has been thought through so thoroughly that I don't even get wet to the skin in the water and stay nice and warm on land. I even have black skin to retain as much heat as possible. It's nice to have the best nose in the world! Indeed, I do not let a seal pup that is hidden 1 meter under the snow pass me by, even if it is still miles away. But what good is all those qualities when I am increasingly confronted with the facts and go into a night tired and hungry again? I can pretend my nose is bleeding, but it seems like it's getting crazier these days. There is less and less ice and more and more water. It is a constant battle for energy: how much do I use and how much does it yield? Sometimes I arrive so exhausted that I'm barely able to go hunting. Sooner or later there will come a day when I will blow my nose and be left weakened. Well, let's not worry about that for now. I am tired, but satisfied and shake off all headaches with the water.

Sooooo, that immediately feels a lot lighter.

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