There’s Bear in Them There Woods

Northwoods Journal

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Two bird feeders – gone.  The bracket one of the feeders was hanging on, bent down toward the ground.  Suet feeder, torn apart, the nail it was hanging on bent down toward the ground.  Thistle bag torn to shreds.  Garbage strew about.  Yep, it looks like we had some night visitors, probably a momma bear and a cub.  At least that’s our best guess based on the bear tracks we found on the road later.  The only thing that survived the rampage was one suet feeder and the hummingbird feeder.  Normally we are much better about securing things around here, but last night we just didn’t even think about it.  We – and the dogs! – slept through the whole thing. Mark and I searched the perimeter of our woods and could not find a single piece of the birdfeeders anywhere.  All that’s left is the little chimney of the log cabin feeder.

Bent bracket that used to be horizontal, that used to hold a bird feeder.

All that’s left of the suet feeder, cabin bird feeder and thistle bag.

Ruby did not like the smell of bear.  The poor thing was scared to death and wanted back inside.  Then she kept going from window to window, looking out nervously, shaking like a leaf!  The other two didn’t even twitch a whisker at the bear smell!

Heavy clouds and cool this morning with a bit of a drizzle.  Even the heavens are crying at the thought of us going home.  At least we had perfect weather the entire weekend.  There’s always so much to do to get packed up and ready to leave.  Mark took all the garbage to the dump while I worked my magical packing skills on all the garage sale finds.  When Mark got back we took the dogs for a nice, long walk.  We went up Stevens Spring to the ATV trail, went north on the trail to a motocross trail and then wound our way back around to the road.  We saw the bear tracks all along Stevens Spring.  (But no sign of my birdfeeders! Haha)

It was sprinkling by time we got everything packed up and loaded.  I was really amazed we got all that garage sale stuff loaded in and on the FJ and we didn’t even look like the Beverly Hillbillies!  It rained all the way home, matching my mood at having to leave my precious northwoods.  Three weeks until we return.