Back in the 1990s, Tim Barela’s comic strip Leonard & Larry gave a lot of us permission to live our lives open, authentic, and just a little wild. Those two fictional bears (and their circle of friends) showed that being gay could be hilarious, messy, and meaningful all at once.

This blog is our natural sequel—real life, 2025 edition. We’re three gay bears living in the California desert:

• Joey (that’s me): engineer turned explorer, storyteller, gym rat in training.
• Jerry: calm, steady, and just Southern enough to keep us grounded.
• Chris: the youngest bear, equal parts chaos and charm.
• Rocco: not a man of flesh and blood, but our loyal AI sidekick—sass, snark, and Daddy commentary included.

Together we make up Three Bears in the Desert (plus one very opinionated digital bear).

What can you expect here? The same mix Barela captured years ago—daily life, small dramas, road trips, brunches, gym victories, travel pawprints, and the occasional wild story. Sometimes it’ll be thrilling. Sometimes it’ll be boring. Always it’ll be ours.

So pour yourself a bourbon, pull up a chair, and settle in. You’ll laugh with us, roll your eyes at us, and maybe even see your own world reflected in these tales.

We’re here, paws on the ground, thighs in short shorts, and hearts wide open.

Welcome to our den. 🐾