'There's Bears In Them There Woods!!'

       I know you didn't click over here for a Geography lesson today, but in order to tell you why this post interested me enough to tell you about it, I first have to tell you something else about me, and then give you a little Geography lesson......Okay, so I don't 'have' to, I want to! :-]

       First, I love my backyard!...You know that already, you say?! ^_^ Well, did you know that I also have a slight fear of my backyard?!...

      (WishingThorn)

              Aha! You didn't know that!!...And it's not a fear of the backyard, per se, but a fear of all of the other critters (coyotes, skunks, rabid squirrels, bears, etc...) that might also like my backyard, and that might wander into it...and eat me or hubby alive!! O_0 ...or 'stink' us to death!!

      I know, you think I'm just being dramatic, but....and here's where the Geography lesson comes in...I live in Massachusetts...Holyoke Massachusetts, to be exact...

        The red section above is Holyoke. The pink is surrounding towns that make up the county I live in. Hampden county.

      This (below) is Whately Massachusetts...

        The pink on their map represents our neighboring county of 'Franklin'. The red is Whately...Well, guess what?! I follow a blog of one of my 'neighbors' here in Massachusetts, art life...{As a side note, she's having a Giveaway for a cute tote bag right now too!}...What do you think she saw right outside in her back yard yesterday?! O_O

           Just 'toodling' around easy as he pleased!!...*gulp*...Arghhhhhhhh!.....O_O This is my nightmare coming to life!.....Okay, I didn't wanna get all crazy, so I had to go looking for information.

      Ah!...On the MassWildlife website, it asked two questions that I found very informative. One was  'Are black bears native to Massachusetts?'...The answer?...'Black bears 'are' native to Massaschusetts...!'...Yeah, I knew that already. Everybody around here talks about them, and I've actually seen them! Not in 'my' backyard, but in a friend's. They had been in a territorial-type scrimmage with the bear, because it was knocking over and removing their garbage cans!!

       The other question was 'Where are black bears found in the state now?'...Oh yeah! This I need to know!! O_0 ... The answer?

         "...A gradual resurgence was noticed in the 1960s and MassWildlife began a bear project in 1970, followed by the onset of field studies in 1980. A coarse estimate of 80 to 100 bears in 1976 was probably low...the field studies, showed the population increasing from 450 to 500 in 1984, to 700 to 750 in 1987, to 975 to 1175 in 1992.

       In 1998, there were an estimated 1750 to 1800...(2003), bears are found almost everywhere west of the Connecticut River, at a density of about 1 bear per square mile of forest and a likely population of 2000 animals. Bears are moderately common in central Massachusetts..." 

         This is a case of 'I already knew that, but was hoping I was wrong'!! ^_^ Oh Well.. O_0  (If this interests you, and you want more extensive info, you can click here and follow the links.)

        But I found something else out that was very disturbing...I might actually be 'inviting' black bears into the backyard!!!! O_O

         The above bear photo is from their site, but can you see what my problem might be?!...On their site it asked another question that people frequently ask: 'What can be done to prevent nuisance bears around residences and in suburban areas?'...Number one, the question itself let me know that they COME INTO RESIDENTIAL AND SUBURBAN AREAS and make a nuisance out of themselves!!!!....*beads of sweat forming*

     But the answer was even more disturbing to me: "...Common solutions include many of the same actions that should be taken with bears at campgrounds and parks. Most importantly, people should remove or secure food sources that may attract or tempt bears. Take down bird feeders by April 1 (earlier if bears are active)..."

      (ruralpearl)

        Yikes!!! My hummingbird feeder!!...And it's Mid-August!!!...and she just had a bear in her backyard in Whately, not that far from here!!! ...*now I have a 'full-on' flop sweat going....Wait! That could be my menopause acting up! ^_^*

       Okay, we're gonna have to be careful now!...Watch how we take care of the feeder...{Although, with wasps, hornets, and zooming hummingbirds flying at his head, I don't think that bear would have a chance out here with my feeder right now!!...PHEW!! They are still battling!}

      ...Be careful about when we take out the garbage, and what's in it...Don't leave food outside for the dog or cat...Okay, that one's easy. I don't have a dog or cat! :-] I do have neighbor kids that must have stopped in our yard yesterday though, because we found popcorn all over the patio!! Grrrr!..."What are they trying to do? Invite bears into my yard?!!"... {That's something I would've said before, and my hubby would have 'poo pooed' it as me being overly dramatic! But not this time!! ^_^}

        You know, you have a simple idea...put up a hummingbird feeder for your calm and balanced mental good health. O_0 And then........!!!!!

    (corelladesign)

       So, one of three things is gonna have to happen now. I'm gonna have to become more prayerful...which never hurts, and might be all I really need anyway! :-)

      .....Become more dependent on my hubby to keep me safe....Uhhhh....okay! I can do that too. He always has my back! :-)

     (bigmelittleworld)

      Or....

       (TheExtentofSilence)

              ...get my map out, get behind the wheel, and 'high-tail' it outta here!!! ^_^ I 'have' always wondered what California was like this time of year!! LOL Wonder if 'they' have bears?! O_0

Balance

You teeter totter, in the middle,
Lean a little, OOPS! You're off!
Now you know that you're not balanced,
and you hope the ground is soft.

It's not easy to achieve,
and once you have it, to maintain.
In almost every part of life
our balance is so hard to gain.

You have to balance your emotions,
how you eat, and how you spend.
And when you're balancing your checkbook,
try to keep a level grin.

Staying somewhere in the middle
takes a conscious, careful touch,
because it doesn't take a lot
to go from balanced to 'too much'!

So try to keep a balanced eye,
 a balanced plate, and balanced life.
Keep your feelings all in check,
and minimize the stress and strife.

And don't compare your sense of balance
 to your neighbor's...you're alone.
Because your neighbor's also trying
to get some balance of his own!