In the days since my vacation my backyard has gone from a peaceful oasis of natural beauty to an unsafe breeding ground of predatory life forms. I just finished my vacation book, The Year of Fog. Through her well-crafted novel, Michelle Richmond awakened within me an extreme kidnapping paranoia. That, coupled with my already heightened fear of child predators formed by watching one 
too many episodes of 20/20, has left me an emotional basket case when my kids are out of site and in the comfort of their own backyard. It's absurd and I know it will lessen as the book fades from my memory but I've got some other issues to face right now.
Check out this article. No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is a black bear that wandered from its forest home into civilization. The civilization he wandered into just happens to consist of my little 'hood. The bear was hit by a vehicle about a block and a half from my house. Now, when I let my kids into the freedom of my fenced-in (4 foot picket) backyard, I am exposing them to the possibility of a bear attack. A BEAR ATTACK. And it's not like my house is surrounded on all sides by a pristine forest. I live smack dab in the middle of a residential area. The street the bear was killed on is a four lane road, complete with a high school, a CVS, several gas stations and car dealerships.
My peace-lovin' husband has never owned a gun but shared with me on more than one occasion that he would purchase one if we ever lived near bears. I guess we're going gun shopping soon. Gun shopping and child-leash shopping. Knowing Tennessee, we should have no trouble finding a one-stop-shop for both!
Well CRAP! There goes Cody coming over on Friday's! Poor T will be so disappointed ;)
ReplyDeleteWe are sort of in the country, but live in a small development. And we have had a bear on our back decd destroying all the bird feeders, in our side yard ripping apart our garbage cans, and now in the middle of the street leaving some nice droppings. I know they are usually scared of humans, but it is still scary when you have 2 little ones running around.
ReplyDeleteAt least your bear isn't going to be bothering anyone anymore!
spend a week in Smokey Mountain National Forest, one little pile of bear poo on one trail, come home, and fill the hunting permit in front of the Rebel Diner, who would a thunk it? I hear tell there's a Flea Market down the road to Sweetwater that's got dogs, guns, AND tube socks, along with some great home made jerky.
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws in NH get bears in their "back yard" every so often. The live in the woods. Mostly they go where the food is, and food can include bird feeders. When I was in Alaska, they taught us how to scare bears away. Don't run, stand there and yell at them a lot. Apparently, it works.
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