[mountainstate] Update

[Cain, Deborah]

I've certainly never had the experience of being anywhere near as close to a bear as Jessie likely found herself and hope I never do.  Growing up on a 700 acre farm, bears were sometimes close enough that my family could see them from our living room window and we heard plenty of wild cat screams but rarely saw the cats.  We lived in the country when my kids were young and a black bear with a cub was seen by a couple of our neighbors.  There were lots of skunks, raccoons, rabbits, and deer close to the last place we lived.  Last year when I took Molly and Shaylee out to relieve I heard something take off running and my husband said there had been  two deer in the yard getting apples that had fallen from a tree.  When there was a possum on the porch Molly steered clear of that corner of the porch and Shaylee refused to even go outside.  Another time while we were out of town my neighbor whose apartment was directly across the breezeway from ours said she opened the door to find a huge snapping turtle right in front of our doors.  I pictured myself stepping on or tripping over Mr. turtle had I gone outside without Molly as I often do.  We've had several incidents of deer getting injured and/or killed when they've run through plate glass doors or windows.  One went through the window of the hospital emergency room and another through the window at the student union.  It is very sad that the wildlife habitats are being overtaken by humans.

Thanks for explaining what a javelin is, Randi.  I'd never heard of one.  Jessie, having that bear on your street and being pretty darned sure you passed him is the stuff of a good book.

Debbie
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