11:36 – We’re labeling and filling more containers, mostly in batches of 120 or 150 at a time. (The labels we use come 30 to a sheet). We’ll be doing this for quite a while, as each kit contains from 25 to about 50 containers. Then we’ll go back and do it all over again until we have thousands and thousands of containers ready in preparation for the summer rush from mid-July to mid-October.
Bonnie, our 90-year-old neighbor, called Barbara yesterday evening to report that black bears had been seen in the vicinity. Bonnie was concerned about Colin. Black bears are unpredictable, certainly, but they’re also very smart. A bear puppy learns by the time it’s in kindergarten that wolves and humans are a threat, and to a bear Colin with his prick ears and stalking behavior looks very much like a wolf. Bears certainly know that humans are a deadly threat to them. Human young are tasty and easy to catch, but adult humans often have thundersticks, which are a Very Bad Thing. Sure, they’ll come in close to human homes to find food but they really don’t want to confront people. I’ve seen dozens of black bears over the last 50 years, but in nearly every case I saw only the south end of a bear running north. The closest I’ve ever come to confronting one happened 30 years or so ago, when Barbara and I were tent camping. Barbara heard a noise outside in the middle of the night. She opened the tent flap, looked out, and said it was a big dog. I put my flashlight beam on it. It was, of course, a black bear, rummaging through the 55-gallon drum that was provided at the site as a trash can. I just said “Hi, Bear” in a loud, deep voice, and it took off running. Of course, I had a heavy-caliber pistol in my hand at the time.