"That which does not kill you makes you stronger" Freidrich Nietzsche

When Alan got home from work last night, Carlo was here visiting.  We sat by the spring, staying cool and enjoying the company.  I'd say we enjoyed the view, but yesterday was really hazy due to all the small fires started by Sunday evening's massive thunderstorm.  On the local news, there was even a picture of a very impressive funnel cloud. 

Yet another indication of our weird weather this year. I am looking forward to the cooler temps predicted after today's high of 90.

Yesterday, knowing that it was the last day we could legally burn, I cut up and marinated a bunch of pork roast for dinner.  Our last Meat On A Stick Night for the summer.  Alan was thrilled at the suggestion.  He and I loaded our little camp table, some plastic chairs, wine, chips and salsa and such into the trailer behind the mower, I called C&D and invited them for Happy Hour by the fire, and we headed up into the pasture.

It was a very nice evening. 

After C&D left, and the fire had died down, Alan and I headed down to the house.  We put away the stuff, got our jammies on, and decided to zone out to a movie before going to bed.

A little after 10:00, Olive came running in the living room.  She ran to the window right next to my chair, pulled herself up to peek out the window.  I thought that was odd, cuz she can certainly jump up there.. it's a low window.  Then she ran into the War Room and disappeared.  Uh oh.

Yep, Mr. Bear was back.  He was right in front of that window when she looked out.  Alan was in the bathroom when Olive ran in, so he heard the bear going through the flowerbeds.

He went out with a flashlight, and I grabbed mine.  I was shining it into the yard through the window when Alan came into the yard from the front.  He saw the bear before I did. (It's really hard to shine a flashlight through a screen at night and see anything)

He yelled at the bear, who started up one of the massive fir trees on the east side of the yard.  I ran for the camera, and headed out the door, but Alan had scared the bear back down.  He went into the road, heading for the woods on the other side.

Alan came back in the house for a rifle (just in case)  I was still out in the yard in my bear stalking gear, which consists of a filmy gauze night gown, and garden clogs, when I heard a noise on the road.  It was the unmistakable noise of the horse trailer ramp.

Now, I knew the ramp was up.  I figured Mr. Bear was on the other side of the trailer, maybe pulling himself up on the fender to peek at us.  As I got closer, I caught eyes with the flash light.

He was IN the trailer!  He had climbed over the ramp.  I managed to get a couple pictures while Alan and I both shone our flashlights on him, but neither one turned out.  Sorry guys.

Mr Bear climbed back out of the trailer, and crashed around in the woods for a bit.  Then we didn't hear or see him again.

I went out a while ago, looking for tracks.  It's pretty dry in much of the yard, but I can see where his feet scuffed the dirt, and there are chunks of bark missing from the tree he climbed.  I think he was behind the house looking for the bird feeder he destroyed.

Dale is going to be ever so disgusted.  He wants to see that bear so bad.  He moved his wildlife camera yesterday, and got a bigger memory card for it so he can set it to take 15 second videos.  I am going to have fun with that!!!!  So far, the only thing he's gotten pictures of is Alan and I on horseback, Christina and I waving and smiling like idiots, and a picture of Nat's ass as she and I went trotting by.

Well, I better get busy.  I've got rubbing in to do! *grin*