Bears in the Yard

This afternoon Oso and I were sitting on the deck. It was late so I had left my phone inside charging because nothing ever happens around here that time of day. Suddenly Oso is barking his bear bark and running across to our neighbor's yard. By the time I had looked, he was face to face, literally, with a medium size bear. I called to him - hollered at him actually - and he came back to the deck. Then I looked at the bear, who was peeking out from behind a tree. Coming up to her on the other side of the tree were her two cubs. Oops.

Oso heading back toward her. I'm hollering, "Oso, No. Come back. That's a mom with cubs. Oso, come here, now!!" One baby was up the tree. The other was hanging around curious. Oso comes back. Then he starts back for her again. This time when he comes back on the deck, I grab his collar and force him into the house, closing the door on him. I race to the other door, close it, grab my phone, and head back to the deck to take the pictures. These were all I got as she led both cubs up the hill and off into the forest.

Mama poised to defend cubs from Oso.

Cub up the tree out of harms way. 

Life in our forest is never dull.