This winter is particularly brutal, even in the West. If it is not wind and rain it is cloudy. The occasional fine day /night sees temperatures plummet to single digits driving the hardiest observer to seek the comfort and protection of "indoors ." The grand conclusion then can be drawn:
Bears and Telescopes are peculiarly related.
For example consider the California Grizzly.
Ursus arctos californicus hibernates in winter and consequently looses weight.
Coincidentally Telescopus Refractus similarly hibernates in winter and I'm sure looses aperture.
Life in the wild has some strange bed fellows indeed.