Friday, July 17, 2009

The Bear, The Bear

Last night both Mike and I woke to the sounds of the bear dragging off our "bear proof" trash can. It took me a minute to realize what I was hearing--and anywhere other than Crested Butte I would have been really scared because it sounded like someone was in the house. I was so excited to see the bear. I was not excited when I realized he was trashing our $300 bear proof trash can. I grabbed my camera and got a few shots off--with Mike fussing at me for getting so close.The lid on our can was bent by the trash truck and I guess it left him enough space to get a paw in. I really wished he hadn't drug it into my flower garden to sit and eat. He did smash several of my plants.
We both agreed he was not a very big bear, but man they are strong. He was rolling our can like it was nothing, and then to have bent the lid all up like he did. (it was probably a female based on the size) It was not at all fazed by the flash on the camera or us yelling at it. I took a pan out and was banging on it with a spoon and it would not leave. Apparently it was going to leave only when it was good and ready to leave. Mike took to making noise and even broke my spoon to bits he was banging on the pan so hard and the bear did not even flinch! It was only then I realized I was on the front porch in my underwear at 3 am. I thought I had gotten a better picture of it's face but it never looked up--just kept eating. I had thrown away the end of a carton of rotten strawberries I guess that is what he was after. (i even found myself worrying about the fact he had eaten moldy strawberries, then I remembered he is a bear)
In this shot you can see his eyes glowing in the light of my flash. I was trying to tell how far he had gone before I went out to pick up the trash so he didn't come back. It was in the paper they have really been having trouble with the bears this summer. They are getting into cars and even into businesses.It took Mike and I forever to fall back asleep. We both were so wide awake and had some adrenaline flowing from our bear encounter in the front yard.

1 comment:

The Bogards said...

I would have loved to see you and Mike on the porch banging spoons and forks!! I bet the boys got a kick out of the pictures.