Return of the Bear

The sun is setting on another spring day along the North Shore.  A double rainbow arches the eastern sky at sunset.  In the past couple of weeks the weather has gone from bone-dry fire warning warmth to saturated, Pacific Northwest mist-filled dreariness.  Over 3 inches of rain fell today; challenging our culverts for the second time in as many years.  With a cold rain falling during the waning hours of the day we have spent plenty of time huddled around the wood stove.   The poplar cracking away, however, has not been as mesmerizing to watch as the little one in our arms (proof that new born babies are more fun to watch than a camp fire).  Whippoorwills cry at dusk and dawn.  Robins, finches and chickadees crowd our sunflower seed bird feeder in front of the window.

A few days ago an old nemesis of mine paid us a visit.  The sun had already set on this particular evening.  I was holding Penelope on the couch when Amy suddenly screamed.  Looking out into the recently-blurred darkness of the night a large figure stood in our window!  At first glance it looked like a human.  With a second look we realized that a young black bear was propped up against the window and going to town on the bird feeder.  I put Penelope down on the couch and ran to the window.  Slamming my hands I shouted at the bear who in turn tore the feeder down and strutted with ease a few feet away where he proceeded to snack on the measly seed morsels.  Livid at this visitor I followed him outside and screamed while hurling rocks like a two seam fastball at his skull.  Unfortunately my aim is not as sharp as it once was (I only landed one shot on the Bear's plump rump).  Eventually, however, my threats and minor violence convinced the bear that it wasn't worth a couple of cups of sunflower seed and he took off, crashing through the woods.  There he harassed the neighbor's dog and threatened the welfare of their garbage.  Eventually it took a shotgun blast over his head to get the point across that he was no longer welcome in the neighborhood.  With that our annual visit from this dumb young male black bear came to a close.

Beyond the bear there have been plenty of other happenings around the homestead.  Sarsaparilla has turned brown.  Aster have sprouted.  Columbine, Marsh Marigolds and Iris have begun to flower.  Monarch butterflies and scores of various moths fight the winds and colonize the side of the cabin below the porch light at night.  Our honeycrisp and sweet sixteen apple trees have flowered.  Most of the garden has been planted.  With the latest rain, however, we fear that many of the shallow small seeds may have been flooded out!

Like the Black Bear darting through the thick underbrush dodging my projectiles or the streams crashing down during a downpour; life on the homestead keeps moving along with the hastened pace of spring.

Garden planted and fenced