Mama!! Mama!! Than THE Defiant One :)

This evening I saw a mama bear w/three teeny-tiny cubs and snapped a few pictures from my sunroof - hoping one will come out (2 out 10 passable. Painful, I know).

It was awesome. One of the cubs wouldn't move away from my car. I got to watch mama teach the cub to move, get out-of-the-way, RUN!!, whatever.

It was simpatico. Mama knew I wasn’t going to run over her cub and kept coming back to my car - trying to teach her wayward one that he/she MUST get out of the way.

The look on Mama bears face was just so intelligently loving and beautiful. Not any different than I've seen human parents trying to impart an important life-lesson upon their own young.

Mama greeting her wayward, overly curious cub.

"You've got to come - when I tell you to come!!"

~ Yes, Mama ~

"Geez Mama, the car smelled like cheetos...and... and... Mama, the car stopped... why do you worry so?"

"Not all cars will stop. And if they do - most likely they won't be kind."

Bedhead Bears

If I recall correctly, these two bears appeared when my neighbor's grandson was taking groceries into the house around 3pm.

He turned around and there they were!!

(Once again, bears are extraordinarily quiet.)

Joe jumped into the back of their SUV and closed the hatchback. The bears not phased - investigated a bit further then wandered off. Once they left the immediate area - Joe ran into the house to the expert bear photograph - Grandma.

Grandma took these from her deck and Joe said they were playing & rough housing with each other. 'It was so cool.'

New friends? a new mate? two teenagers recently turned out by their mum? We'll probably never really know. I do remember the huge smile on Joe's face when he was telling us about his encounter.

When I first saw the photos, my first thought was - these are some mangy looking bears. Their fur looks like they just got out of bed - hence the title Bedhead Bears.

Bo's Got a Rep

I took Bo out for his mid-morning walk and we ran across a bear. I spotted the bear prior to Bo getting a whiff. Most of the time Bo has his nose to the ground. Being the hound that he is.

BUT, this bear caught a whiff of Bo and put on his brakes, did the silliest 180 spin (black bear paws' tangling up and flying everwhere) and tore down the side of mountain.

Bo never knew he was there. When we got to the area the bear did his 180 - Bo high sniffed the 'aire', albeit it was a passing interest on his part.

We did have an audience tho. An entire family of about 10 folks was on one of the cabin's decks high up on the hill and thanked Bo for scaring the bear. It seems the bear had tried to get into their jeep and tore a hole in the side of the canvas top.

Note: When I'm out this time of year - during our walks I yell every so often (like a mad mtn women) 'Bo, tell the bears you're out here!! Woof!! Woof!!' Humaliting for Bo - but, I really don't want any more encounters than my heart can take.


Altho, this is what Bo thinks.

abcded
BTW... this post's bear picture is one of my neighbor's. It is not the bear we saw this morning. Altho, it's about the same size. A teenager.

Another Previous Black Bear & Airedale Encounter

We had some major excitement last night. Not sure if I mentioned to you the bear we keep coming across on our nightly walk, and the bear scampers up the mtn and most importantly - respectfully out of the way. Well yesterday evening, I saw the bear just in time. He was standing on the edge of one of the cliffs about to approach the road Bo and I were on!! Bo, for some reason didn't notice him before I did - so I was able to prepare for the inevitable leash pull. Well kind of. The bear didn't scamper this time. He just walked right out onto the road - 40ft away and right in front us. I'm like WTF.

Bo is suddenly aware of the bear and starts acting like it's another dog he wants to meet. No barking, no high sniffing nor tracking; such as when he's trying to catch a whiff of the chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels, turkeys, whatever in the area. Just a whole lotta of yanking on the leash, play bowing, a bit of excited whimpering, and I'm thinking where the hell -- is the Airedale BIGBADBARK. WTF!!!

The bear starts moseying down the road - the road between me, Bo and our house. So between the books saying you must stand your ground with the black bears and there's really no place for us to go except down. I bark out my own BIGBADBARK. Hey Moxie, Buster and Bo respect it - but the bear just looks at me like I'm a crazy woman with a happy 'dale and continues down the mtn road right in front of us. So what do I do - we follow. Wondering, where's the tourist (aka bear paparazzi) when you need them.

The bear moseys down the mtn a bit, Bo and I follow a bit - the bear looks back - I stop - Bo's tugging on the leash like he's about to meet his new best friend. The 'dance' continues for a good 1/8 of mile AND then I realize the 40ft gap between us is narrowing. DAYAM, where's the bear paparazzi.

And finally, they show up. Snapping pictures, clicks, flashes and all. The bear slinks over the side of the mtn and we're saved. I walk quickly to our saviors. Who never realize Bo and I were 30ft up the mtn road whilst shooting their pictures. Thank them for coming by and we walk happily down the mtn after a few adorations of 'Oh, is that an Airedale - I haven't seen an Airedale since I was a youngster. Don't they hunt bear?'

(No, I say to myself from firsthand experience. )

This time I forewent letting Bo smell the "track" and made it back down the mtn with all the composure I could muster.