My Bear Story

Last week I came home from school pretty tired - but determined to get some things accomplished around the house. I started by sorting laundry - and then off to the kitchen to start the hot water running to fill up a soapy sink to do the dishes in. On the counter I saw my sunflower from Vicki ( - thanks - ) dying. I decided to toss my dying sunflower and then wash my vase right away. There's a tall grass patch in my yard I figured I should throw the sunflower into so if a sunflower decided to pop up later that would be a nice place for it to do so.

I went outside with vase in hand (don't know why I didn't just take the flower out beforehand), and I walked to the right side of the grass patch b/c that's what is nearest the house. As stretched my arm behind me to give the flower a good toss something didn't feel right. I froze for a second and then dropped my arm and peered over to the left ---- and that's when I saw this:


I just though - hmmm how odd, and went about my original plans.

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Yeah if you believe that you obviously do NOT know me at all. The following is how the rest of the story (called only-2-me happenings) played out!

I immediately walked slowly closer to this massive crater of crushed grass as my eyes grew larger and larger. My mouth now hanging wide open and the vase nearly dropping out of my hand! As I stopped directly in front of the picture you see above it is then I screamed!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Then I took a breath ... and screamed again!
AHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I may not be an outdoors gal -- but I knew enough to know THIS IS THE BED OF AN ANIMAL!!!!!! I tried telling myself it was probably just a deer - b/c I've not actually seen an animal bed before - but I couldn't talk myself into it....not by the size of this! I even tried to be a sleuth. I do know what deer poopies look like now (and I have also stepped in a pile b/c that's how they fall) so I was bending near - without actually stepping in - to see if I could see any evidence, but to no avail. And one has to think - would you want to sleep where you poop??? Can't you just see that conversation played out. Now Bambie - I don't care if you just went when you were in the Peterson's yard. I want you to march yourself over to those woods and try one more time before you come back into this bed I've made for us!

After getting the screams out, and trying my hand at detective work, I went back in the house and did what anybody would do. I called my friend from up the road (who by the way has also helped by being on alert for my potential-mouse issues! - he'll definitely have a very special reward in heaven for having to put up with me!) and just calmly asked if he was going to be around the area anytime that night! ;) ha ha Well, bless his heart, he came over, and I expected him to get out of his truck and say - It's just a deer bed - you're in the northwoods now - you can't get freaked out everytime you see something like this. Well I was right in the first count....he got out of his truck! :) ha ha Then he just stood there, looking at it - for a really long time. I was quiet - but there was a whole lot of noise up in my head. Ok, very funny - you're just not saying anything b/c you know I'm standing here flippin' out inside b/c you're not telling me "chill - it's just a deer." This isn't funny. Oh my WORD!! It really is a bear and he doesn't want to tell me. Ok, ahhh, does he not know what this is?? Nahhhh, he's just really messin' with my head! OH MY WORD I'M GONNA DIE!!! IT'S A WHOLE FAMILY OF BEARS!!
Then, he starts feeling the grass, and sniffing, and steps in it. By now I'm about having a heart attack and ready to start packing boxes, when he sticks his hand down in the grass and says - yep it was just a deer. I think that was the first breath of air I'd taken since he arrived. He said I was right - it really was a very large bed and he really wasn't sure when he first got there if it had been a bear or deer. He found a spot where a deer's hoof had hit ground, and felt the print, and it was small so it wasn't a bear. Needless to say I was quite relieved. I just don't know how long it was there. I definitely didn't notice it when I came home from school, and I didn't see this HUGE obvious chunk of crushed grass on my way to school, or at any other time, so I have no clue when I had overnight guests. It must've been one night when I kept my porch light on. You know like Hotel 6 (or whichever one) "We'll keep the light on for ya!"

Even though there was no bear - I still call it my bear story --- until a better one comes along (*worried look on face!*) B/c you know with me - there is BOUND to be another one!!! I may not know when, or when -- but I know there will be one!