Welcome Home

Not long after I retired, I finally had a day to go up to the farm and get reacquainted, if you will, with the land.  After a short while, I retired to the rocking chair on the shed porch.  The dogs were lying at my feet.  I shut my eyes, just listening to the music of the forest.  

My husband was supposed to come up to meet me.  Some small noises started to break through the silence, sounding like some branches snapping and feet through the grass.  I thought it odd that he would have gone through the forest to get to me, as he was just down the farm road at the barn.  

I opened my eyes to see if he was coming around the building.  Instead, less than 100 feet away, I saw the mama bear walking along the tree line.  “Babe!!!” I shouted to see if my husband would respond (he didn’t).  The dogs jumped.  They spotted the bear and took off towards her.  Honestly, I wasn’t sure if they were trying to protect me or play with their new-found friend.  I called them to come back to me.  They stopped about 20 feet from her; they seemed to sense meeting her nose to nose may not have been the best idea.  

Mind you, this bear didn’t have a care in the world.  She just kept walking.  But my heart was in my throat and my hands were shaking.

And I had left my phone in the truck. No photo. No video. No proof.

Just me, two suddenly wiser dogs, and a mama bear who never once broke stride.

Welcome back to the farm.