I’m working at the
greenhouse one day and I check my phone for messages during a break to find a
message from Rick. I figured he’d ask if I was going to town so I could pick up
something for him. However, when I listened to the message I was kind of
puzzled by it. He had just called to tell me that he loved and would see me
later.
I know what you’re thinking. How sweet he was to call me up
just to tell me he loved me. Yea, Rick doesn’t do that. If he’s calling me he
has a reason much more necessary than that.
I went back to work and didn’t think any more of it. I’d find
out what that was all about when I got home later.
Well, when I did arrive home he was standing on the porch
waiting for me with an odd expression on his face. It was a cross between the
cat that ate the canary and a little kid who knows something you don’t know. Now
I knew something was going on.
As I walked toward the house I asked him what was wrong. He
said, “Nothing. What makes you think something is wrong?”
“Because you’re standing on the porch with an odd expression
on your face.”
When I get home from work I am usually greeted by Rick and
Perry hollering “Honey, you’re home” from the living room where they are
watching some crazy show about how stuff is made or gator hunters or some wild
guy who catches pesky critters. So you can understand my curiosity as to Rick’s
presence on the porch and the odd look on his face.
So we get in the kitchen and he tells me he had an encounter
with smokey. I’m thinking fire and looking for evidence that he tried to catch
the house on fire. Now I’m really puzzled because there is none. So I asked him
what he tried to burn up.
He says ‘not that kind of smokey…you know…hey booboo, how
about a picnic basket’.
“That’s Yogi Bear.” I say….then..”What!, You saw a bear?”
He smiled and proceeds to tell me about his encounter with
the bear who was lying under the chicken coop munching on corn that had dropped
through the wire floor. And, it wasn’t one bit afraid. It looked at Rick then
stood up, putting its front paws on the top of the cage like it wanted in. Rick
hollered at it and the bear turned back to look at him then just ambled off
like it hadn’t a care in the world.
I was stunned and excited. Wow, a bear. I walked to the table
to put my purse & lunch bag down just in time to see the same bear
strolling across the front lawn.
“There’s you’re bear Rick.” I point out the window as this
overwhelming desire to run out and pet it flooded through me. I mean I was
excited. I’d never seen a bear that close before. He was cute too, about the
size of a German Shepherd, black and fuzzy. His fur looked so soft.
Well, Rick grabbed the rifle he had sitting on the counter
& headed out to get him a bear. Don’t worry, he didn't shoot it. He shot in
the air to scare it away and it ran off into the woods.
The Department of Fish & Game said we could shoot it if it
became a danger to our livestock or ourselves. So far all it had done was eat
corn.
Well, it seems that one encounter wasn't quite enough for the
bear. Two days later he was back. This time Rick was gonna shoot it. I guess
God decided that wasn’t a good idea because the bear saw Rick and turned away to
wander off into the trees. Rick didn’t want to wound it and cause it to suffer
so he shot into the ground right at the bear’s feet and sent him running as
fast as his bear feet could take him, and he hasn’t been back here since.
However, he did show up at a neighbor’s and stole her bird
feeder. Then went to another neighbor’s and tried to get into her chicken
coop….and the poor critter has been wandering further west every day. It could
still circle back this way so there is a possibility that we could see him
again.
Don’t worry, I won’t try to go pet it, but I do think I will
try to get some pictures next time. That was exciting!
Thanks for reading and God Bless.
Rockie
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