05.21.08
home sweet away from home
We went to the lake for the long weekend and since we’ve been home we’ve been busy getting the yard and house work done so we can go back next weekend. I am sot sure what the rush is, there is no water out there, the weather is turning crappy again and the road is too rough to haul the old trailer away so we can’t start on the cabin yet. Still, it’s good to be out there. I built a new garden there this weekend and planted a bunch of flowers that hopefully the chippers will find distasteful. I feed them tons of peanuts, maybe it’s too much protein and they need the greenery after as roughage. I wonder if I spiked the nuts with Metamucil or some other such laxative type substance if they would leave my plants alone. I did cover the new garden with chicken wire but I am pretty sure if the critters want in they will find a way.
This begs the question…why is it called chicken wire? I am pretty sure the holes need not be so small to restrain fowl of any sort. Or is it chicken as in fearful that the wire is named for? As in you need the chicken wire to protect you from the birds. Or maybe it is the wire itself that is afraid. Run away, run away chicken wire!!
I’m tired…obviously. We built a raspberry garden when we got home and I am well drugged because I twisted my ankle hiking in flip flops through the barren moonscape that will be my lake in about six weeks. The hike was not intentional or I would have worn proper footwear…maybe. We were going for a walk and went a little further and a little further until…bam…we were way far away from home and had to walk back…really fucking far back. Through sandy, silty, rocky and muddy hills and valleys we trudged in the heat. I believe it was the sandy portion of the slogging that sent my foot in one direction and the rest of me in another. I hobbled back to camp and iced it and took some anti-inflamatories to keep the swelling and pain to a minimum.
This leads me to my next question. Why is it that a closed baggie holds in all contents without incident when you’re awake but the minute you fall asleep with said baggie it manages to leak the melted ice all over the bed?? I felt like I pissed myself…from the ankle. I don’t like sleeping in the wet spot…any wet spot!
On the way out to the (un)lake we saw six bear poops on the road. This makes me wonder why we always see ursine shit a la road but we never actually see a bear shitting on the road. It makes me wonder if maybe they are like monkeys and they toss their feces at the passersby. The image is hilarious to me, a gaggle of Yogi’s hiding out in the bush waiting for a car like mischievous teenagers with snowballs ready to strike their next unsuspecting victim. I see them laughing their fuzzy asses off as they hit their target with their tourist, rodent and berry laden turds.
The photos below…if this works…are from the weekend. The bear is a pretty young black about two years old. We stopped the truck so I could take his picture and he almost looked as if he was posing for me. He wasn’t fifteen feet from the pick-up when I snapped this shot, completely unafraid of us he looks like he is scratching his ass on the tree. While I think they are totally cute and I love that they are unafraid of us I also know that they won’t be afraid of the bear hunters either so once I took his photo I hollered and honked the horn to chase him away. And yes, that is snow. There is still a fair bit of it in some spots.
The next shot is a stump that will be submerged once the water levels come up. When they flooded the valley to turn it into the reservoir they cut down all of the trees but the stumps remain. Some of them have become floaters and apparently people will pay huge cash for them as yard decor or horse scratching posts. They do make for some pretty spectacular driftwood but I kind of like this creepy crawly look, like they might just walk away…or attack. “Go get ‘em stumpy!”
The last shot is taken from the creek where we get our water…which runneth over at this point with warm weather and spring runoff. I love this view, it’s so beautiful up there even when the lake is little more than a river winding through the valley. Even in bleak brown and beige desolation it is stunning to me.
heartinhand said,
May 21, 2008 at 5:12 am
I wish I had a lake. Actually, I wish I had an island then I could go to it when I want to get away from everyone who is driving me nuts.
You need some proper shoes Ben. I love me some flip flops too, but if you are out in the bush, you should at least have crocs on or something.
HAHAHAH!
Steve said,
May 21, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Firstly, allow me to state that for some unknown reason, the idea of a lake that’s here one day and gone the next unsettles me in no small way. Weird, eh?
Next, although there is no definitive answer, the awake/asleep ziplock leak paradox is being studied. I’ll report back.
aintgotno said,
May 21, 2008 at 6:56 pm
at least now we know the answer to the question do bears shit in the woods … clearly the answer is no …
bohemianhippie said,
May 21, 2008 at 11:43 pm
SEE?! I’m not the only one who thinks you need a pair of crocs. Sheesh woman go get some.
I like all of your photos but really love the view of the stream. It’s just gorgeous.
Remember.. CROCS.. PINK CROCS.
heidiland said,
May 22, 2008 at 4:25 am
You kind of do have crocs… Croc-flops, if I remember correctly.
You’ve answered an age old question.
Do bears shit in the woods? No… They shit in the road.
Lady Visine said,
May 22, 2008 at 4:52 am
Great photos! It does look like the bear was doing the hoochi-coo dance on that tree.
Hope the ankle is feeling better soon. Share pix of the garden(s), and then come help me with mine. I’ll let you play with the new lambs.
oniongirl said,
May 22, 2008 at 8:39 am
ooh blue – must be a south african mindset – i immediately went down the poop in the woods road too
– you actually counted them ben?
that big ole bear looks like he’s doing the ursine version of canine scooting.
i am so envious… the lake/bears/stumps.
we used to see a lot of stumpie things on the beaches – theyve made way for condom wrappers and hanks of fishing line. in order to see our impressive wildlife in thier ‘natural’ habitat, i’d have to pawn my eldest child for airfare + sell my crocs at the parks gate for entry fee… then pray madly that every animal larger than a thumbtack wasnt hiding under a bush.
mind you -we do have caged baboons at the zoo – who have perfected the art of poop slinging at grunting; provocative visitors.
hmmm… maybe plant some fast growing, dense thorny hedge/briar around your garden… should be effective in the long run?
sladewilson said,
May 22, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I had to come check on you. Good to read you went to the Lake – I know how much you love that place.
Business is picking up and I’m working my tail off but I’ll blog about it sometime soon.
Missed ya, sis. Glad to see you’re doing okay….
BTW – Liked the pics…
Peace…
Krissie said,
May 22, 2008 at 6:44 pm
*is jealous* Lovely pics Ben
I reckon the bear had just had a shit and was wiping it’s arse on the tree. Sticks to the fur, y’see and as they don’t have toilet roll or hands to wipe it with leaves ( I mean let’s face it, a clawed paw just isn’t going to be comfy, is it?) a tree is the next best thing.
I like stumpy too
it’s kind of creepy in a way but very cool LOL
Glad you had a good time at your (un)lake
(((hugs)))
LOTGK said,
May 24, 2008 at 1:58 pm
” I wonder if I spiked the nuts with Metamucil or some other such laxative type substance if they would leave my plants alone. ”
Everyone wins in this scenario. More fertilizer for your garden, more regular for the animals.
aintgotno said,
May 24, 2008 at 5:13 pm
crocs… the ultimate cure for pleasant smelling feet…
Melissa said,
May 25, 2008 at 11:09 am
Beautiful photos Ben! I hope you take care of your ankle. Enjoy the weekend!
Bitzky said,
May 28, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Oooh! Hug the chippers from me! Your lake chipmunks are still the only ones I have ever seen. But I missed the bear
You have free access to one of the greatest views in the world!