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Monday, April 18, 2011

4/17/11 BRUNCH, A CAMPFIRE AND A NAUGHTY BEAR

GOOD MEAL, GOOD CAUSE

...GOOD CROWD ALL MORNING

LAST MAPLE SUGARIN' CAMPFIRE

STAKING OUT HIS TERRITORY?
Monday, 8:00 AM.  29 degrees, wind W, calm.  The sky is partly cloudy and the barometer predicts the same.  It looks like our spate of wintry weather may be over.
    Yesterday morning was the annual Bayfield Fireman’s Brunch held at the Northern Edge down the road a bit.  The equipment fund raiser for the all-volunteer department was very well attended, always surprising us with the number of children in the area, although the city itself has few.  The surrounding townships of Bayfield, Town of Russell and Bay View have become the centers of local population, while the city itself has become more and more a tourist and absentee homeowner community. Over 60% of city homes now have absentee owners, and we lost population again in the last census. It is not a good situation, as high taxes, high utilities and until recently high real estate prices have taken their toll.  Anyway, the event itself was very encouraging.
    The retrograde weather has made for a longer maple sap run, and Andy and Judy have made more than five gallons of syrup.  But even they pulled the taps  yesterday and there was one more campfire last evening and then they will be leaving on Wednesday or so.
    I forgot to take the remaining bird feeder down last night and thought about getting up and taking care of it as we were lying in bed.  Just then there was a tremendous crashing about on the porch, and as I looked for my camera in the dark I saw the bear reaching for the feeder, a pretty big guy.  I couldn’t get the flash to work in the dark and he spotted me at the patio door and ran off, so no photo. While walking this morning I did take a photo of the aspen he is using to trim his claws, it is on the corner of 9th and Old Military just down the block.  We really don’t need a big, naughty bear staking out his territory in the neighborhood, though.

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