Bear with us still

Back in July one of our neighbors took a photo of a small black bear on her front porch. In recent months, Tom has found evidence of the bear's presence on our property. They have a distinctive way of marking trees, apparently as a means of communication with other bears.

Just a few weeks ago, the neighbor's kids heard it growling in the back of their property. Ed went online to find out what one sounds like, and all three kids agreed that the bear sound was what they had heard.

Peggy just called to say the bear was over near them last night. Ivy, their tiny poodle, went outside to protect them from some unknown invader and came yipping back with her tail between her legs. Not hurt, we are happy to hear. This morning they found bear tracks and reported the activity to the DNR. 

Black bears are not particularly aggressive toward humans, but they would swat a dog or cat out of the way and it would not go well for the dog or cat. This time of year our cats seldom wander very far from the house, not liking to pick their way through the snow. So our family should all be safe.