Reader Jeanie sent some miniature books to the girls. They’re in German. One is about Einstein and the other is about Leipzig. Wouldn’t you know it, Nina and Sophie know German, so they’ve started studying them.
Thank you, Jeanie! The girls love them and send their thanks. Though Sophie looks like she’s read enough for the day.
Story from yesterday: Around 11 am, I was upstairs in the bedroom getting ready to make the bed. I happened to look out the window and saw a bear about 5 feet from our kitchen door, right between the funky patio and the memorial garden. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I yelled out to Don: “Don! Don! Go to the window!” He kept yelling, “What window?” But I was so stunned that I could only say, “Just get to the window!!!” I finally heard him say, “Oh, my GOD!!!”
By that time, the bear had turned around and was heading up into the corral and Don got a photo of him.
Sort of blurry as Don was using his iPhone and trying to zoom in. Plus, the sun is shining on his coat, so he looks sort of brown on top. He isn’t. He’s a black bear and I got a really good view of him.
Don thinks he was not full grown, kind of a teenager. I think he’s right.
Anyway, we’ve never seen one that close to us before. He proceeded to go up into the back forty and then over to our neighbor’s property. I told Don to call them and warn them because they have chickens. Our neighbor said she was looking at him at that moment; he had crawled under the chicken house (which is raised quite a bit off the ground) and he was eating their food. Oh, my!
Later, after I’d posted the photo on IG, my neighbor who lives across the field that runs behind our property, asked me what time I saw him. Apparently, he was in the neighboring campground around 12:30 walking around near the canteen and front entrance – they’re not open yet for the summer. And my neighbor discovered that her trash cans had been raided. So, he left my neighbor’s property, walked across the field, ravaged her trash, and then went on to the campground. He/she was hungry!
Black bears are not aggressive. If, for example, I had been outside when he was approaching the property, he would have run off.
An amazing experience and it makes us wonder how many other times a bear has been around and we just didn’t happen to look outside at that moment.
I was really tired yesterday – allergies, I think – so I didn’t accomplish much other than a few chores. But today, I’m going to mow the corral, the last section of the property that hasn’t been mowed in the last week.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
Claudia, I’m impressed. For heaven’s sake: a bear?!?
Over here we’re coping with wolves in certain parts of the country. Not half as dangerous, except to cattle, of course.
Thanks, Petra. They are pretty impressive, these bears!
Stay safe.
A bear! Very exciting!
There have been bear sightings in our area but I have never seen one. I’m a bit envious. I am glad you were inside.
Take care
It’s always a shock and a thrill, as well
Stay safe, Marilyn.
Hope the noise of the mower keeps the bear away while you are mowing! Look out and be safe!
He won’t come back. And if we talking or mowing or moving around, no bear would come near. They’re afraid of us.
Stay safe, Ellen.
Wow, bear sighting and a photo; a lot more excitement in your neck ‘o the woods than mine, Claudia.
The dolls’ new books are just perfect in size; darling photo. Love the hair bow; and, OMG, the tiny shoes!
We’re off to do early-morning errands and try to get in a walk at the beach although we’re deep in May Gray, low 60s, in Southern Calif with dense overcast/fog; then, it burns off midday and we steam with rising temps and were low-80s yesterday afternoon. ‘Tis how it is, going into summer here. Was just reading a synopsis on El Nino patterns and we may get a lot of rain again in the winter ahead; although rather alarming about the warming globe otherwise; it looks like your northeast could be dry at the same time we’re too wet; but, you know, who knows; it’s Mother Nature getting skewed by overall manmade disaster of climate change. Big sigh for our planet.
So, in Calif at least, with the Covid virus being considered no longer a public health emergency yet it’s still around us, how are you looking at the masking thing, Claudia? My husband made a quick dip into the post office, in and out, without a mask the other day, during the public hours. Made me a little nervous. What’s happening where you are?
We had a significant drought last year. I hope we don’t have one again this year. I’d rather be too wet.
We aren’t seeing many people in masks. Maybe one or two. Makes me a bit wary. There are times I don’t wear one, but if I’m on a bus or in a big group, I still tend to wear one. However, we are definitely the exception rather than the rule.
Stay safe, Vicki.
Vicki, my daughters and I just returned from Greece and Rome, where few people mask. We were not consistent with our masking…daughters got COVID, tested positive the second day home. I remain negative the past week and a half, so I’m the cook and chief bottle-washer while they isolate in their rooms. At home, here in No Cal, I mask in crowded places, such as Costco and the grocery stores, and, because they request it, though it’s voluntary, at the library.
Interesting Wendy; thanks for weighing in. My husband wears a mask more than not and I’m always masked but the difference is that, after three years, I go out more in public now. My cousin was in Greece after Thanksgiving and also got Covid (in Athens on a land tour, several days off the ship sightseeing [she was on a cruise]). I notice with another cousin of mine who has gotten Covid twice, that he’s less careful than ever, I guess because he’s emboldened (that he didn’t wind up in the hospital; that he didn’t die?!); same with one of my best friends (but, you know, each is in their 70s and my own feeling is that they could be more careful for a little while yet; I sit in the car a lot while my husband goes inside various places doing our errands; we definitely have people still wearing masks in Southern Calif, even outdoors, although they’re becoming the minority; it seems about half and half with food servers).
I’ll take being the exception; I’m not ready to take too many chances; I wish I had a healthier immune system.
xo
wow (also, eeeeek)! i’m glad you and don saw the bear and were indoors when you did! don’s photo is beautiful and so is the setting … but so close to your door. :o be safe!
we were in the right place at the right time yesterday, too … on a ride, we saw eight baby goslings walk across a busy street with their mama and papa. very sweet, also fluffy and the babies seemed to mind their parents. :)
hope you feel better soon and that don’s thumb/hand are fully recuperated!
nice gift of the books from jeanie.
hope you, don and everyone else have a good, easy day. again, be safe in every way!
kathy
Thanks so much, Kathy.
Stay safe.
That would get my attention, a bear in my yard! We have lots of deer around here and they eat all the plants!
Well, you know we have lots of deer, as well!
Stay safe, Linda.
dear Claudia/Don — what an experience !!! altho, we live in the country, no woods/forested areas here in bluegrass country — never have we ever seen a bear out in the open — one spring some years ago, a local TV station filmed a bear on their lawn, aired it, of course, on their news programs. Guess hibernation is over for your bear, haha!! thanks for being quick enough to get that pix — glad you don’t have outside animals small enough for her/him to catch. stay healthy/safe
No, but we have a groundhog that we love and chipmunks. But they move pretty fast.
Stay safe, Linda.
Oh, my, Claudia, a big black bear in your own yard. How exciting. Please keep a lookout when you’re mowing. Be safe. Your girls look very studious. Those are heavyweight books despite being so tiny. Don’t forget to rest. Hugs, Elaine
They never come near when we’re mowing. If they think a human is there, they go the other way.
Stay safe, Elaine.
I saw your IG bear post a I was eating breakfast yesterday. OMG! To see that right outside your window was something. Both of my brothers lived in bear country (Eastern Oregon for one and Connecticut the other) and both lost pet cats they let wander at night to them. Around here you need to be on alert when walking any toy dog breed. Several have been snatched by coyotes.
Take care,
K.
We have coyotes, as well. Personally, I don’t know why people let their cats stay out at night. If I had one, I would never do that.
Stay safe, Kay.
Oh my! He’s a big’un! Now THAT is an experience. I would have been a bit freaked — so glad he was into chicken food and not chickens! It’s a pretty good shot for a moving target, from afar, zoomed on a phone!
I’m surprised the books arrived already and they ARE the right size. A little “thick” but then I’m talking to a woman reading “War and Peace.” No wonder Sophie is looking a tad ready to bag it — she’s reading the Einstein book!
Thank you so much for them, Jeanie. They’re really lovely! We’re all very happy.
Stay safe.
Wow! And I get excited when I spot one of the three small lizards that live in my front yard (1) and backyard (2), as do my cats! I wonder how they’ll react to a bear?!?!?!
I don’t know! I wonder how Scoutie would have reacted?
Stay safe, Wendy.
OMG….BEAR….what are you supposed to do if you stumble upon one? Do you freeze in place…..or yell and make tons of noise…. I know that you have experienced this before. Interested. Just got back from Hudson Valley….visited Olana, Walked across the Hudson river in Poughkeepsie, visited DIA in Beacon and shopped at my old hippie store Winter Sun &Summer Moon in Rhinebeck. Put the top down and we just drove around soaking up the mountains and beautiful views. Doug and I celebrated my birthday and we are home now….back in the land of the strip malls/and the familiar and irritating sounds of lawn mowers and tree cutters. Hope I can keep the good energy I get when visiting my old stomping grounds. Enjoy the beauty of your place….the bear certainly does. Be well.
I think you slowly back away. That’s what we did when we encountered a bear in our woods.
So glad you had fun in our neck of the woods, Maria. We’ve walked across that bridge and it’s really beautiful, isn’t it?
Happy Belated Birthday!
Stay safe.