Friday, July 08, 2011

Things that go bump in the night.

In walking about the yard and reclaimed apple orchard yesterday I was amazed at the number of apples that have appeared on the spindly trees--some of which have snapped or been bent over under the weight of either late snows or the apples on the topmost branches. I could also clearly see where either deer or bear had tramped through the tall grasses amongst the trees to nibble at the lower leaves and twigs. Then last night, at around midnight, something or somethings quite large were out there among those trees making quite a clatter snapping branches and shaking the trees. There was no snorting or stomping so typical of a deer even when I turned on the outside lights. Unfortunately, the foliage is so dense those outside lights did not penetrate into the area where the noise was coming from and I could not determine what it was. My best guess is that it was a bear--or several of them, as in a sow and cubs--plucking the green apples.

Aside from the ruckus, it was a nice night for sleeping as the temperatures dropped in to the low to mid 50s.

1 comment:

Rev. Paul said...

I don't know what's worse: a gaggle of bears loud enough to wake you, or the ones you don't hear, leaving only tracks (and scat) in your yard.