May 1, 2017

Several years ago, Phyllis and I purchased a vacation home in the Lake Tahoe, California area davidrealty.com as a remote spot for all of our family to enjoy for years to come.

We had visited there many times with family and stayed at my sister’s home on the lake and fell in love with the area. We joined the Tahoe National Forest Preserve and almost every time we visit, we see coyotes and bears cross our back yard looking for food or just passing through.

Generally, the wildlife will not bother people unless harassed. One bright crisp morning Phyllis and I stepped out on the back porch to look at the magnificent view through the forest only to come almost face to face with a medium size brown bear at our back porch.

Phyllis has never been what I would call a fast runner, but friends, that day she moved rather speedily. We watched this magnificent animal from inside for almost 20 minutes until it wandered away. I wondered to myself, what is that bear thinking? Does it mean us harm or is it just curious?

We know that bears have an astounding sense of smell and have been known to break into houses and ransack the fridge and everything else if they sense there is something to eat in there. They are protected by law and it is illegal to feed them, although an eccentric lady that lives behind us does it quite frequently.

So, I am thinking why some fool like me would buy a house knowing it is a highway for carnivores and get a thrill out of watching them almost eat us?

We also rent this cabin to weekend vacationers and their biggest event is also seeing a bear. Go figure.

Most of the permanent residents around there take all of this in stride, as these happenings are a way of life and have been for many years. Could I ever get used to something like this on a regular basis? What do I do if I open the door after flying 2,000 miles and find my beautiful house has been trashed by a hairy monster?

Well, thanks to the local bear league, and some contractor friends we have implemented harmless ways to discourage these curious creatures – so we hope. One even ate the insulation under our pier and beam house after spending time snoozing there. Welcome to the great outdoors and life at the top of the mountain. At least the air is clean and pure at 6,500 feet.

David

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.    Prov. 10:11