Monday, October 09, 2006

Drat, bears around and about!

I got word early this morning that bears have been sighted all around here. We were thinking they weren't around this fall as we had not seen one and no signs of any. We have heard noises coming from the woods and it sounds like a larger creature is about, but then I've heard scratching and scraping and on checking it out it's only been fox sparrows scraping through the fallen leaves looking for bugs. Now fox sparrows I don't mind but bears make me nervous, although there has never been a bear attack here to my knowledge.

Last spring, I was in the city, and my partner said he looked outside and there was the largest black bear he has ever seen, sitting in one of the flower beds munching on a plant. This was only about 20 feet from the deck. He goes out and starts yelling and blowing his whistle to try to drive the bear away, but this only gets the bear curious and he gets up and starts walking towards the deck. That put paid to that nonsense! Another time, I went out early in the morning to let the chickens out when I saw the door was off the chicken house. The hens were fine but all their food was eaten. One time I had left a line of clothes out overnight as it hadn't dried during the day, the next morning all of it was off the line and rolled up in large balls. Another time I was carrying a bucket of compost through one of the archways when I looked up and there was a young bear running towards me. Needless to say I got out of there quickly. Looked like he was having a bit of fun.

I'm not going to go into all the stories I can tell, the thing is, my partner is soon going away for three weeks and I'm stuck here by myself with bears around. It can be rather nerve wracking to say the least. Looking over my shoulder any time I'm outside. So, at day break, I'll be in my pajamas, with a Spanish dueling knife in my hand, as if that's going to help, lol, nervously headed for the chicken house to let them out and hoping that I don't see, I'll say it, an amazingly beautiful creature in my path.

3 comments:

flicker said...

OMG OC, I don't think I would like that much either. You were lucky the bear must've been a vegetarian to eat the chicken food but not the chickens! I would be worried to death for their safety though, same as I am here with my cockerel with that damn cat around, but at least that isn't going to rip the door down to get at him. Hope you can manage to scare it off!

nicola said...

You be careful OC!

Blimey cant imagine having bears in the garden. Just make sure if you see one run....or are you meant to play dead? Or is that something else?

Boo said...

That would scare me too, especially being on my own!