YES, that is a bear in my backyard.
YES, YES, that is a bear in front of the studio/office.
YES, YES, YES, that is a bear eyeing the one remaining birdfeeder we left up.
YES, YES, YES, YES, that is a bear hugging a tree because my dogs caught the vibe and were barking like crazy.
I could not bring myself to write about this right away, as it scared the living daylights out of me. All four of us, and my son’s girlfriend were home when the visitor appeared in my backyard. They were totally smitten by the uninvited guest. I freaked.
My husband and daughter sprang into paparazzi mode, and my son eventually ran out (which made me totally nuts) and scared it away.
I showed these photographs to a few friends. From their gaping expressions, they will probably never visit my home again. In fact, I showed the images to my friend's Janet and Danny, and when Janet visited this week, I could tell that her bear antennae was working overtime as she tip-toed (in her high heels) out of her car. Her husband, New Yorker cartoonist, Danny Shanahan then published this cartoon:
Check out the whole bizarre bear story here and find out what to do if you have a bear in your backyard.
Have you had any experiences with bears in your yard? If so, please tell me before I visit.
Photo Credit: Ted Fink Cartoon: Danny Shanahan for the New Yorker