Artos

There are black bears here.  They are buffet style feeding right now for winter.

There are black bears here.  Goodness.

How I found out exactly....

copy of a drawing in have by Chelsea Smith 'Artio'

Two days ago Boston and I were snuggled up watching episodes of Merlin and heard a huge bang towards the back porch (which is about a story up from the ground stretching to the creek).  He jumped, I jumped, and then there we heard a couple thuds on the ceiling.  It sounded like someone in the above floor possibly moving furniture- I knew that this was a duplex cabin setup so figured the other side had second story access.  Heard noises that sounded like a tin-can wind chime and jumped again. Turned on the lights, grabbed the fire stoker and braved to look out the huge kitchen window facing the porch/woods.  Nothing.

In the morning, after very little sleep,  I asked the lady staying next door about the previous night.  Turns out there is no second story.  That noise was the bear(s) jumping from the pines to the roof to the porch, and she saw them early in the morning when she was out for a smoke. At least it wasn't a creepy mountain man.

Last night it happened again, slowly I am getting braver- as in holding a broom in one hand and a fire stoker in the other and banging on the window and door to the porch.

One love definitely especially for the animals, and this really isn't that scary..but the moment the door knob turns...Goodness.

Welcome to the mountains.