C: Winds of Change and Bruins in the Area?

Well, after two years of nursing my hurt feelings over the divorce, Son has decided to take a job two and a half hours north.  It is a good opportunity for him to combine work with his passion for outdoor skills. 

Much as I know it is time for him to go (and he has been good to stay as long as he has), I will miss him.  He has seen me back on my emotional feet, good son that he is.  I am thankful that he’s not out of reach, at least.

My mother is worried sick.  My mother’s job in this family, however, is to worry—especially about her grandkids.  My sister and I think she’s adopted “worrier” as her identity.    She has called me with all kinds of “what ifs.”  I reminded her that not too many years ago, young men (at what? 18 or 19 years of age?) would kiss their mother’s on the cheek, saying, “I’m off to seek my fortune” and go off into the sunset, their belongings tied in a rag on a stick.

At least it’s not that bad…at least we have cell phones and internet now.  I don’t know what I’d do if he was headed West on a wagon train!

“Besides,” I told her, “Worst-case scenario is that he has to come home!”  Won’t happen, I’m betting, but still nice to know that’s the worst.

So MIL treated the two of us for a “goodbye/looking forward to the future” dinner at Red Lobster. 

She splurged and got a big ol’ lobster from the tank!  She’ll be having Red Lobster again tomorrow!  We brought three containers of food back with us.

Son had his favorite: Crab Legs and Scallops, finished off with hot coffee and the “chocolate wave” cake and ice cream.  We all left stuffed.

We’ve been having an odd going-on around here.  Three times this week I’ve had broken (inside eaten out) watermelon in my driveway.  I meant to take a picture,but by the time I get a chance to, they’re gone. 

These melons are not sliced open, they are clearly broken open.  The insides are scooped out. Whatever is eating them eats the good central part and then apparently comes back and finishes the rind.

The spot on the driveway is right even with my neighbor’s garden (which, I know from her gifts to me, has watermelons).  It is clear that this is where the melons are coming from, but we’re talking over 100 feet distance.  I’ve wondered what could be coming to eat these melons and what would be big and dexterous enough to move a good-sized melon from the garden to the driveway.  And why?  I speculate that it is to eat it on the hard surface of the driveway, out of the bumpy grass but who knows for sure?

I have a theory.  I believe it might be a black bear.  It is the only animal around here that I know might could move these melons in this way. I Googled the question of whether black bears like melon, and I found out that they sure do!  In fact, zoos often toss them into ponds or pools in the bear enclosures because they float.  The bears fish them out of the water and carry them up onto the bank to break them open and eat them.

Here are pictures from the Museum of Life and Science, Durham, North Carolina.

Bear swims to fetch the floating melon:

Bear takes melon out of water:

Bear enjoys melon on bank…notice this one has TWO melons!

If a bear can do that, he can surely get one to my driveway from my neighbor’s garden.  I can’t think of any other animal out here that can do that.

What do you think?

Just this past June I’ve written about the bears out here.  It is a bit of a concern that they would be habituated enough to come this close, but my neighbor has thought she has heard one nearby.  I won’t be walking after it starts getting dark.

Chili is inside each night with me when I’m home, but it makes me wonder if he knows anything about this!  Will keep you posted if there are developments.

The weather was fooling with me this week.  A couple of mornings ago it almost felt like fall, but by afternoon it was blistering again.  I say this every year, but: I am so ready for fall!

Hope you are all well…and avoiding the bears.  C