If you go down to the woods today you’re sure of a big surprise! Friends….RELAX…fuzzy wuzzy was a bear…and reports of my recent bear attack are greatly exaggerated (nonexistent in fact). And if you DO hear I was mauled after this report it will likely be because I tried to pet it or put it in the barn. Which I promise not to.

Yes, there is a bear. A cub. He was crying up a storm at 3:00 a.m. So loud for so long I named him Elvis. it was wild seeing how all the sheep and pony reacted to the heartbreaking wailing. They rose from their slumber and moved into a cirlce in the barnyard… Jody whinnied. It had their attention.

(What a crazy sound it was..but not as eerie as the yowling lynx that Dave Mcleod and Lindsay and I heard here a few summers ago. Now THAT was hair raising….exactly like a terrified womans blood curdling scream .)

But I digress…. the Great Pyrenees stormed into the woods and woofed at the bear, and Seb (the dog..not Grinham) also made loud whining in between…they never do that. Dont think Seb had ever met one before. Elvis cried for about 25 minutes, then stopped. Dogs came back…so I am guessing mama bear returned and cub came down or unstuck or whatever..but nothing today so they probabaly moved on.

Bears dont like to hang out with dogs so I imagine they splt. Sightings locally are more and more common. I saw a bear last year in front of the farm…he actually sat on the road awhile as I looked at him from 45 feet away in my car…the year before one was way in the back…so no big deal…they just do their thing if we let them be.

Black bears are naturally shy and solitary…they are omnivores so humans are not of interest as menu items.

Besides, the Pyrenees have it covered under their job description. So yes Lisa…Fox…Erin…Ian…Brendan..et al…you can resume camping and swimming as usual.

Elvis has left the building, er…forest.