Beware of the Bears
Posted by Gerri on July 31, 2008 · 7 Comments
This spring and summer I have really gotten back into gardening. I have pots of plants everywhere, compost “cooking” and a big pile of mulch outside.
One of the dangers of gardening, for me anyway, is the chance that I could encounter a snake. I already injured myself once this year while running from a snake that I “found” in the mulch pile. That’s really the reason that the mulch pile is still there.. where it will stay.. and decompose. I won’t touch it.
Anyway, I’ve been told that if you stomp around and make noise, the snakes will hear you and leave the area. I always carry a shovel and bang it on the ground as I walk around the yard now and my friend Tiffany said “Oh, like bear bells?”
So I got this photo in an e-mail from Amy today and it reminded me of that whole conversation with Tiffany about the snake, my insane fear of snakes and “bear bells.”
Hm. Well, then. I guess the shovel was a better idea after all.
Tiffany: I figure that at least then I have a weapon. Glad I don’t have bears in the mulch pile.
One place I have worked in the semi desert of Alberta, the little bunnies live with the rattle snakes. During the day, the rabbits are safe from predators because the snake is there. At night, the rabbits sit on top of the snakes and keep them warm. It’s a win win!
Kinda weird to see though, since you have cute on top of killer. And I always wondered if the snakes eat bunny babies.
Tim: Wow.. brave bunnies! I bet that was weird looking.
I live in New Brunswick not BC, but we should have one of those signs around here. There is a big black bear in my neighborhood, well if you can call the forest a neighborhood. LOL
Shortly before I moved into the city from a forest-y area, there was a news story about a very confused bear wandering around in the neighborhood I was about to occupy. And I thought one of the hazards I WOULDN’T have to worry about in the city was wild animals…
I once witnessed my mother accidentally pull a 18″-24″ garden snake out of her rose bushes. I was cutting the grass at the time so I was deprived of the blood curdling scream as she launched the poor thing into orbit.
She also had the good fortune of pulling a fish out of a hole in the ice with an eel attached. This too took an impressive flight with a loud scream announcing lift-off.