Last night I had my first yard bear visitor of the year.

First encounter

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I was out in the yard for several hours in the evening yesterday working on my latest landscaping venture. For some reason I just felt some bear energy in the area. I know they’ve been showing up around town more lately, and I could just tell my turn was coming soon. While I worked, I listened to Audible on a speaker so I could stay alert and let any wandering bears know I was out there (and clever, too).

Luckily no bears came along to help me with my yard work while I was out there, but a few hours later, around midnight, one strolled through my yard and officially kicked off my yard bear season only 4 days earlier than last summer! See my post from last summer: Alaskan Yard Wildlife Encounters.

Round two: dandy dessert

Today our ursine amigo dropped by a little earlier in the evening, this time to help with some yard work. He went to work on my dandelions in my front yard then moved on to those along the road before crossing the street to help the neighbors. I was able to supervise his work live since he stopped by early.

Blessed and stressed

As excited as I am for guests to stop by occasionally, I HAVE BEARS IN MY YARD. Gotta stay sharp now, until winter. It’s a blend of excitement and vigilance everywhere from hiking trails to my own backyard.

I want to see a bear!

But also,

I hope I don’t see a bear!

Stay tuned for wildlife updates as we slide into summer!