neighbours

I've discovered some neighbours recently who think nothing of coming over unannounced and helping themselves to whatever interests them, without even saying "hi, how are you". The first time I spotted the pair, they were lolling under the apple trees in the old orchard, snacking on the windfall apples there.

This large fellow went northwards towards the back of the abandoned house on the property, leaving his pal sitting on her haunches under an apple tree, stuffing her face with apples.

I was heading out to the city in my car, and I think it was the car that finally alarmed the pal under the tree in the orchard. The pal got up then and lazily loped off toward the weeping willow tree. I wasn't going to follow, but I had rolled down my window, hoping to snap a picture. But she moved so quickly, I had no hope of getting a picture before the bear disappeared under the willow tree...

Then, the other evening, I was sitting down in the living room, taking a rest from some boring chores and doing laundry, when I noticed a movement in the back yard. What I noticed first was the shiny, thick, black fur. It had pulled the potted Swedish ivy off the deck to dig out one of the apples the squirrels are always tucking into it.

Then it headed for my garbage pail. I had been putting some of the apples I'd been raking up from the ground in the back yard into the garbage pail, meaning to dump them down at the bottom of the garden into the compost pile.

(with apologies for the quality of this shot through the glass of my patio doors!)

I think the bear's appetite was pretty sated at this point. Disappointed to find mostly weeds and dead-headed flowers in the pail, it picked up an apple from the ground in a desultory way, then strolled off down towards the lake.

Meanwhile, this is putting a crimp into my walks and runs around the fields on the farm and around Sturgeon Point. I'd love to think that the bears and I can peacefully co-exist, but I'm not too sure of the bears' intentions. I must say, I'm struggling with feelings of resentment and annoyance!