Bear Season

   The bears are fattening up, and this chestnut tree is one of their favorite snacks.  There are actually two, but this one produces a lot of nuts.
 

      Trying to open these is like trying to mess with a porcupine.  I'm sure it's easy for the bears with those big paws and pads.

                    I use my shoes to pry them open and have collected quite a few bowls full, some being shared with Baby and the bears.

  I saw the cubs in the driveway and two hours later they were in the bamboo forest where I had the cam set up, but too high to get a good photo.  Only two showed up, mom and the other were nowhere to be seen.

    I adjusted the cam in hopes they would be back, but two days later, looks like Papa Bear came on his own to get what was left of the chestnuts and corn.  

     They're coming at all times of the day and night.  Papa decided to take a nap, and when I came down to do more work at the farmhouse, I startled him and he took off.

  Last weekend Bob and I heard a huge tree fall somewhere in the bamboo, but I think we will wait to check it out until the bears are hibernating before going down the bamboo trail.  Don't need any face-to-face encounters!