The bear sauntered through and even contemplated the morning while sitting on a bench
NORTH FORK — Depending on your perspective, there was either a bear in Sue’s garden today or a Sue in the bear’s backyard.
Sue and Larry Langley live in the shadow of Peckinpah Mountain on a beautiful swath of land which she has carefully cultivated with natives over the many years they’ve been here.
Today dawned with beauty, just like most mornings in the Langley’s Sierra Foothill Garden, and one native in particular was pleased to have a visit.
An occasional bear in the garden is to be expected around these parts, and this one made itself right at home. It all started, as many good stories do, with the sound of the Langley’s Corgi, Maggie, barking persistently, piercing the otherwise quiet morning.
This picture was taken through the screen before Sue shut the window!
“Maggie was barking and I let her out to chase the deer or whatever, then saw a bear,” exclaims Sue. This happened around 7 a.m.
“Yikes! I managed to get Maggie back in ‘bearly,’ with a total lie of a treat. Then I dashed into the bedroom and woke Larry. The bear was right outside and came right up to the window!
“He was here a good ten minutes and after coming down from the tree he ambled over around the side of the house,” Sue continues. “He sat on a bench! I wish I had been able to get that picture! He came twice to the window, running away a bit — maybe when he saw Larry — then came back and looked as if he wanted the window open! Those big paws! I banged on the window. I thought he’d scratch the screen!”
With no decent offer of coffee or hospitality, the bear ambled back off into the forest and Sue ambled back to her weeding, and so another day began in the Sierra.
Photos courtesy of Sue Langley
Morning, neighbor!
Coffee?
Maggie the Corgi is at the bottom left, and the bear is top right about 20 feet away
Sue says this is a good reminder that climbing a tree won’t help you escape a bear
