Well, we moved across the valley to a small town-estimated size 4600 residents--not including the bears. I can't believe I'm living in a place where bears frequent the backyards. Neighbors say things like, "Oh yes, the bears can be a nuisance if you don't keep your garbage cans tied down." I translate that to mean, "Sure, you can be mauled in your backyard, but we are rugged Montanans and it's the wild heritage that we love." My neighbors have informed me that there were bear cubs in the backyard last fall and since I heard that I've been on "Bear Watch." Yesterday, I was sitting in the backyard when I heard crackling branches in the forest behind the house. I immediately jumped up and was ready for action. (That means I keep both front and back doors unlocked at all times to be ready to back slowly into whichever door is not being covered by a bear.) I scanned the woods, eyes searching, ears listening looking for the dangerous wild animal and I saw...two fat squirrels chasing each other in the trees, breaking branches as they leaped over each other. Whew. Another wilderness adventure safely survived.
Remind me to tell you sometime about locking us out of the car in the middle of the National Bear Wilderness....
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