There have been many things to appreciate in nature this week. But the most marvelous just might be my excursion to the far side of the property where the sandy, unused horse arena has become the message board for wild creatures.
We have noticed more and more bear scat in various places around the property. (See the Sept 6th blog post about our initial sightings.)
It led me to the vast stretch of sand during a work break a few days ago; what I found the moment I stepped inside the gate was a plethora of tracks covering every square foot of the large arena. Carefully stepping only on vegetation – in a grand effort to avoid messing up the tracks – I began to see the footfalls of many creatures.
Deer. Very obviously there have been deer. Double oblong shapes …
Rabbit. A few tracks showed the pathways of scampering bunnies …
Coyote. Hair, fur, and bones-littered scat as well as “dog-like” prints …
Bear! The imprint of digits and the underside of the widespread front paw, claw pinpoints, and a size that seemed quite unbelievable (about six inches wide) …
Then a broader search for scat revealed a wider-spread area of bear droppings. Essentially, the entire yard, including the nearby pear tree of last week’s (9/27) blog post about an up-close encounter with the coyotes, was littered with bear poop.
I couldn’t be more excited!
Reminding myself that black bears are primarily crepuscular, I have been noticing the twilights with greater awe and enthusiasm.
This morning while my coffee was brewing, I went to the front door and stared out into the blackness before first light. I lifted my arms, pressed my nose against the glass in an effort to see out into the dark yard, and called for the bear. I asked him to come gently, to allow us to see him but to recognize how small and weak we are in comparison. I told him we intend no harm and are happy to cohabitate in this place and time.
And expectantly I wait…
All blog images created & photographed by Jennifer J. Wilhoit unless otherwise noted. Please circulate images with photo credit: "©2019 JenniferJWilhoit/TEALarbor stories. AllRightsReserved."
