Midnight Musings

Photo by Susan Kehoe from wcbstv.com article at Bear Pulls a Goldilocks in NJ Backyard


HIGHLAND LAKES, N.J. Susan and Vinnie Kehoe got the shock of a lifetime on Sunday.

They were in their kitchen eating when they noticed something bizarre going on - a slumbering bear was just chillin' in their backyard, reports WCBS-TV.

"I looked out the window and thought somebody was on my hammock, a person," Susan said.

"He was rocking himself to sleep."

Susan said she watched the bear sleep for about five minutes before he woke up and fell out of the hammock. She then grabbed her video camera just in time to catch him trying to do it all over again.

"Bears are a lot smarter than we think they are," Susan said. "He went up there, it felt good to him and he utilized it to his benefit. He had a nice little snooze."

This bear really felt the comforts of home, lounging in her hammock. What a story Susan has to tell.

"Goldilocks," eat your heart out.

"It was better than watching a good movie on TV," she said.

(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

I think I'll go see if anyone's been sleeping in my bed...

'night

(Picture actually from National Geographic's Photo-in-the-News)

Cat Proves His Mettle by Chasing Bear Up Tree
Associated Press -- June 12, 2006

WEST MILFORD, N.J. -- A black bear picked the wrong yard for a jaunt, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree -- twice.

Jack, a 15-pound orange and white cat, keeps a close vigil on his property, often chasing small animals, but his owners and neighbors say his latest escapade was surprising.

"We used to joke, 'Jack's on duty,' never knowing he'd go after a bear," owner Donna Dickey told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Friday's editions.

Neighbor Suzanne Giovanetti first spotted Jack's accomplishment after her husband saw a bear climb a tree on the edge of their northern New Jersey property on Sunday. Giovanetti thought Jack was simply looking up at the bear, but soon realized the much larger animal was afraid of the hissing cat.

After about 15 minutes, the bear descended and tried to run away, but Jack chased it up another tree.

Dickey, who feared for her cat, then called Jack home and the bear scurried back to the woods.

"He doesn't want anybody in his yard," Dickey said.

Bear sightings are not unusual in West Milford, which experts consider one of the state's most bear-populated areas.

'night