Bear With Us

These signs are posted by the US Forest Service to warn people that they are in "Bear Country." We have them posted at various places in the area we inhabit. This one is posted at the edge of the village.

Until this year I haven't seen a bear. This year the bears seem to hang around in the wooded areas around the village and come into the village at night to see what they can find to munch on. They are often seen early in the mornings. Last week there was one on the porch of one of the lodges.....because someone left a plate of food out there by mistake.

Saturday I took a short hike with friends Larry and Gundula Houff, who are here for a month. Larry was our pastor here two years ago and is now filling in for Pastor Erik for while he is on a short sabbatical. On the path up to the compost bins, we saw a bear cross the path. The compost bins seem to be another place the bears love to hunt for food and the electric fence doesn't seem to keep them out.

The bears have been a real problem this summer and the people in Operations are getting weary of chasing them away every day. It seems they have become quite comfortable here and don't get the hint that they are not wanted. Luckily so far they have not decided to eat us!