1:30 am

I was putting Benny back to sleep, his last stubborn molar is bothering him. I heard the wind chimes, and couldn't figure it out, because there wasn't enough wind in the trees to be shaking them. I stood up to put Benny back in bed, and looked out the window. There was a black thing out in the yard.  I figured it was the neighbors Black Lab that occasionally gets loose and roams. Then it lifted it's head and I saw it was a bear. A little one, but still a bear none the less. It was by the bird feeder, which explained the wind chimes. The bird feeder is about five feet from the house. I got Clark, but by the time he came out it had disappeared.
   My brother was staying here overnight and sleeping on the couch. I asked him how it felt to be sleeping eight feet from a bear. He said he didn't know because 'til he woke up the bear was gone. I think he was disappointed he didn't get to see it.
   This morning the bird feeder is in shreds. The post it was hanging from is bent to the ground. A bag of trash was dragged to the ditch behind the house and scattered.
   In the four years we've lived here, we've seen a wolf, deer and now a bear on or close to our property. Yeah, even though we technically live in a 'village', we are way more in the wilderness then I realize ( the highway running by my front door doesn't help reality). But I like my wilderness.

From the Back Deck...

    It's springtime! We're loving it! Benny and I are currently on the back deck enjoying warm weather. I was having trouble making him understand why he has to stay on the deck. I went to uncover something in the flower bed, and of course he followed. We still have a few inches of snow in the backyard, and he was barefoot. He's content to stay on the deck now.
   So I'm sitting here dreaming of yard improvements. What I'd love is a screened in porch, a fire pit, a sandbox for Benny, a raised strawberry bed, a stone walk, a clothesline, an arbor.... Dreams are free at least. 
   Life has been nice and normal lately. Benny is saying new words everyday it seems. We are enjoying having Dru's around for a few weeks. 
   And that's really everything that's going in our lives right now. Not much and normal, but those times are nice too.  Enjoy spring!