Yesterday I prepared to mow the back yard by picking up dog toys and scooping. I kept hearing a rattling of branches above me. A few acorns were hitting the ground. I looked up but didn’t see anything. I suspected the usual squirrel scurrying around. With that chore done I hopped on Johnny to mow while Alex and Sailor chewed on their bones in the other part of the yard. Little did I know then but I was mowing the yard (with dogs outside) with a bear up the tree.

As I mowed I noticed a suspicious looking poo that looked a lot like bear scat to me at the bottom of the big oak. I noted to myself to take a closer look when I was done. Around and around and up and down Johnny and I went until the grass was looking like a yard again instead of a field. This year the grass has been growing so fast that once a week isn’t quite enough.

Anyway, Alex came over and sniffed the poo. He didn’t like it. He sniffed the bottom of the tree and looked up. He jumped back like someone had scared him. I looked up .... waaaay up. Yup, a big black thing in the very top. Hello, bear! I naturally assumed it was Doris since she’s the bear that’s seen the most. You know me, I headed inside for the camera.

Looking for all the world like a big, black ape the bear was swinging its arms out to capture acorns on the nearby branch. Standing underneath the tree trying to get a clear view of the bear I was in danger of being clonked on the head by falling nuts. Leaves and pieces of branches drifted down. Maybe this wasn’t the smartest place to be. What if the dumb thing fell out of the tree and landed on top of me? Okay, I can get a better shot from out in the yard anyway.

I managed to take a little video but my baby camera doesn’t do zoom very well, so it’s not the best. But it’s better than nothing. I was standing next to the pool pump, so it’s a bit noisy.

This went on for quite some time and I just stood out in the yard and watched. Pretty soon it was obvious that the bear had decided to come down. I watched the somewhat clumsy descent.

... hmmm ... it seemed easier going up .... how did I get my big fat butt up here?

geez, I shouldn’t have eaten all those acorns

almost down now ...

Okay, Lynne, time to move out of the yard. Just as I got to the stairs to the deck the bear was down. It saw me and we made eye contact. Poor thing was panting, just like a dog. It was after all, a very warm, sunny day and it must have been hot up in the top of the tree with a black fur coat on. I blinked and the bear had disappeared into the woods without a sound.

After studying the photos I came to the conclusion that I had not seen this particular bear before. It was big, but was it big enough to be Bruno? All the bears that we’ve encountered to date have all been tagged. This bear had no tag in either ear. So, not Doris; not Ursa; and definitely not the cubbies. They tell me that when a bear makes contact with people the wildlife officials tag the bear. Each time the same bear is reported it gets another tag. Three tags and they are out. Very curious that this bear had none. Now I felt stupid that I had been talking to the bear and calling it Doris!

Thinking that my bear encounter was over for the day, I headed back inside. A while later I fed the dogs, let them outside, and went outside myself to water the flowers by the pool. The dogs sensed nothing amiss and went about their usual after meal duties. About five mintues later I heard Alex barking. I looked and saw him halfway into the woods, just standing in the same spot, barking. Uh oh. Sure enough, there was the bear laying not far from where Alex was standing. It raised its head but didn’t move. Okay, everybody back inside!

A half hour later I went back out to check if the bear had left yet, and saw to my surprise that it was fast asleep in the shade, lying there like a big black lump. It didn’t even hear me. (Now don’t worry I didn’t get any closer than I was before!) Another 45 minutes or so passes and I can’t resist the temptation to check yet again. Still there, sound asleep, except this time it’s halfway rolled over onto its back with one paw flung in the air. Sure looked like it was comfy. All I can say is that acorn gathering must be really hard work. By the time Rick got home a little while later it was gone. I guess I’m going to have to look before I do my little walk in the woods from now on.

Yesterday we ventured into new territory with the canoe: Monksville Reservoir, which is only a few miles from home. I’ve long been fascinated by the standing dead forest that came into existence when the land was flooded and the reservoir made in the early 1980s.

I took photos last fall from the far shore and I can’t wait for the changing colors this year now that we can get closer with the canoe.

We paddled into the eerie, weathered forest.

At times the trees seemed to reach out for our canoe (or maybe it was my overactive imagination!). The moon was still visible: can you spot it?

The slight breeze made for some interesting reflections.

Join us!

Well, congratulations to Krista (coffespaz) for correctly guessing a canoe! Letty was close though in first mentioning a boat. And my sister, well, I don’t know why she said she hoped it wasn’t a boat!

Yes, this beautiful hand-crafted canoe was gifted to Rick by a good friend. We are both in awe of this gift and it is truly one of the most wonderful gifts he or I (hey, I get to share the joy!) have ever been given. It’s very special. We are beyond words of thanks. What a wonderful gift. We’ve had a canoe before, in Colorado, and presently it lives at our mountain cabin there. But it’s like riding in a cold, tin can (it’s aluminum) and can’t compare with the craftsmanship represented here.

This morning we loaded it up onto the Suburban and headed down to our local Green Turtle Pond. You’ve seen it before here in my blog. Where I walk the dogs, where Bart liked to wade, where the swans were this past winter.

Ahoy, mates! Strap on your PFDs and prepare for the maiden voyage! (PFDs = personal flotation devices; better known as life vests)

From the moment that we launched her (well, boats are always referred to as “she” aren’t they?) it was sublime bliss. She glided through the water effortlessly and every so silently. The only sound was our paddles hitting the water and the water dripping off them.

We paddled into one of the coves to get used to maneuvering again. It’s kind of like riding a bicycle; once you know how it comes back quickly.

After getting our canoe skills back, we then headed for the open water. I hope we weren’t over zealous, but we paddled the perimeter of the entire pond, which is really like a small-ish lake to me. Probably about a mile. Here I am doing my bit, but thank heavens I don’t have to steer.

But the real work comes from behind:

Someone has to start things and this tree may have gotten a bit ahead of the others in prepartion for winter.

Wait, Rick says, what’s that in the water ahead? Looks like a turtle ... whoa ... it IS a turtle. Image a turtle in Green Turtle Pond! How very apropos and how very timely. Thank you, Mr. Turtle! Looks like a Snapper to me ... what a tail!

As we headed for the boat ramp we couldn’t help but think once again how lucky and grateful we were to be given this gift.