I can understand the restlessness, though. At least you don't have everything there and unpacked yet, do you? So hopefully the packing will be easier. When do you plan on starting school? Maybe you can start now while you wait so you can get a couple of weeks under your belt before you have to take time off to move.

Carol

Last summer we had bears, bears and bears - all getting into stuff and tearing up the place. Everyone blamed it on a late frost that messed up the berry blossoms in the higher elevations. Fortunately we don't have grizzlies around here, just black bears.

This year I personally have seen more bears than last year, but they seem to be a nicer lot. They tore up our trash storage trailer bottom once (we had to replace it with metal), but really other than that they've been keeping to themselves. One cub has been hanging about and I inadvertantly walked within about 15 feet of it on a trail to our house! The neighbor's dog was walking up a nearby trail and sniffed it out, and made a beeline for it - it was up a tree, very close to me! I was carrying my 21 month old and hurried him to the house. Bears sure are cute as cubs, but you can be sure I was looking out for mama bear! The same cub came around the next day and my dh shot it with rubber bullets. He seemed to react in pain, but ran up a nearby tree then stuck around. I didn't mention to my dh that my two little children were playing outside not an hour before he showed up again in pretty much the same place as he was! I'm not sure if they would have seen him as a danger - they are so cute when they are little and seem so harmless! I haven't seen him for the last two days.

Late in the spring this year a mama and two brown cubs were on our deck in the middle of the night. They left quickly when we turned on our light. We had been barbecuing there earlier in the day... They all came up our drive a couple of days later in the middle of the day. Dh chased them off on his four wheeler, looking for a good shot with the rubber bullets... Never had one. I didn't see them again, but I think they were seen by our garden when it was first being set up. Not since summer.

When I go for a walk by myself around here I carry bear spray. I've heard of bear "poppers" too, that shoot off a loud noise and bright light like a flare to scare them away. Will you have any kind of protection if you go berry picking?

carol

That is a topic I tend to get behind on too. I tend to leave it for the afternoon and then forget about it until it is too late. Bad mama! I too am trying harder to make sure it gets done this year.

I'm glad you got a head start on your school this year.

carol