QUITE A MENAGERIE

BIRD SEED BARREL TIPPED OVER...

...BEAR PAW PRINTS IN THE SNOW

Wednesday, 7:00 AM.  32 degrees F at the ferry dock, 30 on the back porch.  Wind variable, calm at present. The humidity is 97%, the barometer 29.7" and steady.  The sky is overcast, there is heavy fog and it is snowing lightly after a mini-blizzard earlier that left several inches of wet snow.  I awoke very early and unable to go back to sleep, sat for a long time watching the blizzard, first in darkness and then in early light.  I'm glad we are not traveling anywhere this morning.

   We were watching the end of the Brewer ballgame on TV about 10:00 PM last night and I was startled by a loud clatter just behind me, outside on the back porch.  I got up quickly and turned on the porch lights.  I didn't see the bear, but did follow his prints off the porch in the fresh snow.  He tipped over the trash can containing the bird seed but the cover didn't come off, and he was scarred away by the noise and light.  Buddy didn't even growl.   The tracks left in the snow weren't really large, so I assume it was a young bear, probably a two year old driven away by its mother.  I brought the can in and took down the feeder, and I will have to do this daily until we are through with winter bird feeding.

   The Wisconsin primaries are over and the big winners are Cruz in the Republican primary, and Sanders in the Democratic, upsets both, and signs of a real revolt of the electorate against the establishment, across the board.  Things will undoubtedly be in flux for months to come but the writing is on the wall.  It is no longer business as usual in American politics.
   Elephants, donkey's and bears.  Quite a menagerie.