The Bear: Part 2
I didn't wake up in the night while the bear rummaged about. I was fast asleep, listening to Louis CK standup off Youtube as my lullaby and curled up with the dogs on the second floor. The dogs didn't hear (or care) and so no barking woke me up either. I imagine the only sounds on the farm were Louie and the occasional grunts of a large ursine beast.
When I was outside for early morning chores, all I saw was the mess. There were shells of goose eggs scattered all around the woodpile, and my three geese were watching from high on the hillside with the sheep. Clearly the bear had found the nest and snacked on all 15 eggs and the geese took off for the highlands. Imagine those old movies where the family watches their house burn down at a safe distance? It was like that.
The eggs were the lightest bit of damage though, the trash bins were scattered to the four winds. It looked like my yard just hosted an outdoor rock concert. My first thought wasn't a bear at all, but raccoons, or perhaps the two pigs in the woods broke out of their pen? But I could see the pigs looking at me from their Pigoda and the goats watched quietly from their pen. I cleaned up the mess, threw the egg shells on the compost pile, and looked around the place for some sort of sign or track. At this point things were so dry and in need of rain, there was nothing on the ground to prove anything, but my head went back to the raccoons. But then I remembered how often a raccoon would rather snag a fat chicken then rummage through garbage? And that so many times coons had come and pilfered food and never once knocked out a trash can in the past? Then it hit me: bear.
I had a small package of pork to deliver to the neighbor's so I walked over. It was a thank you for letting me ride on their property. Because of them, I can have an adventure on horseback right outside my front door on hundreds of acres of trails instead of just riding around my 6.5 acres. After he thanked me for the gift he asked me if I saw the bear? I had not, but he sure was at my place - I told him. He nodded. Apparently he went right now the mountain ripping apart bird feeders, trash cans, compost piles and feed containers. Yikes.
So besides some minor damage and the reminder that I live in a place where several-hundred-pound animals can walk right up to your kitchen window looking for dinner - all is well.
Sorry these posts are coming few and far between. Dealing with a lot of stress. But writing is what makes me feel connected and better, so I hope to be more present here.
When I was outside for early morning chores, all I saw was the mess. There were shells of goose eggs scattered all around the woodpile, and my three geese were watching from high on the hillside with the sheep. Clearly the bear had found the nest and snacked on all 15 eggs and the geese took off for the highlands. Imagine those old movies where the family watches their house burn down at a safe distance? It was like that.
The eggs were the lightest bit of damage though, the trash bins were scattered to the four winds. It looked like my yard just hosted an outdoor rock concert. My first thought wasn't a bear at all, but raccoons, or perhaps the two pigs in the woods broke out of their pen? But I could see the pigs looking at me from their Pigoda and the goats watched quietly from their pen. I cleaned up the mess, threw the egg shells on the compost pile, and looked around the place for some sort of sign or track. At this point things were so dry and in need of rain, there was nothing on the ground to prove anything, but my head went back to the raccoons. But then I remembered how often a raccoon would rather snag a fat chicken then rummage through garbage? And that so many times coons had come and pilfered food and never once knocked out a trash can in the past? Then it hit me: bear.
I had a small package of pork to deliver to the neighbor's so I walked over. It was a thank you for letting me ride on their property. Because of them, I can have an adventure on horseback right outside my front door on hundreds of acres of trails instead of just riding around my 6.5 acres. After he thanked me for the gift he asked me if I saw the bear? I had not, but he sure was at my place - I told him. He nodded. Apparently he went right now the mountain ripping apart bird feeders, trash cans, compost piles and feed containers. Yikes.
So besides some minor damage and the reminder that I live in a place where several-hundred-pound animals can walk right up to your kitchen window looking for dinner - all is well.
Sorry these posts are coming few and far between. Dealing with a lot of stress. But writing is what makes me feel connected and better, so I hope to be more present here.
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