Look Out Kids! There's a Bear on the Loose!

First of all I’d like to dedicate this post to Tom & Amanda Crandall, my friends from Alaska. Through their influence and guidance, I’ve learned most of what I know about bears. The rest of what I know has come from reading the Berenstein Bears as a child.

(Side note: From the Berenstein Bears I’ve learned the following things):

1. Bears eat honey.
2. Bears like to have adventures.
3. Bears go to doctors too.
4. Bears learn moral lessons from their mistakes.

So there’s a black bear loose somewhere in Tuscawaras County here in Ohio. That’s not normal. This isn’t “Bear Country”. First this curious little fellow was seen roaming the local streets of New Philadelphia, Ohio -- a sizable town in its own right. Next, he was spotted running through the local park – a favorite play area for children, with pool, carousel, rides, playgrounds. Then the bear was seen at the local beach at Atwood Lake, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump from our house!! That brazen bear swam across the lake and disappeared into the surrounding public forest. That made us all a little nervous. Our farm boundaries lie on the Tuscarawas/Carroll County border. So that freaking bear could show up any time on our doorstep. It doesn’t bode well that the guy over the hill from us raises honey bees!!! Holy Majoly!! Is anyone else sensing why 2+2 = bear here?!!!

Then there was silence…. No bear sightings. Nothing.

And then all of a sudden the bear was seen hanging out at the New Philadelphia high school. Again, that’s where children are. I think we can all agree that no one wants to see the bear hurt or hunted down. I have a great respect for bears myself –especially after watching “Grizzly Man” and seeing how they eat people. But why, and I ask this with all respect, CAN’T ANYONE FIND THE FREAKING BEAR???? I mean he was just out at the high school last week, we know he’s around!
Kevin and I have been discussing this for weeks. We expect to be seeing him very soon, in the front window of our favorite coffee shop, drinking a macchiato and reading the New York Times. Stranger things have happened I guess.

(2^nd Side note: I drive back and forth from Tuscarawas/Carroll Counties almost every day. I almost ran over a fox 2 weeks ago, sadly I did maim a baby bunny, and I just have a lingering feeling that some foggy evening as I’m driving home from work --- I’m going to hit the bear. I’m going to be responsible for killing the bear. I hate killing animals. Ask Kevin, I was crying after I hit the bunny. I can see it now in my mind: I hit the bear. The local T.V. crews are interviewing me, and the only words I can utter are, “…I can’t believe I hit the bear….”)

Look, all I’m saying is that I would really like it if someone, who has official bear-catching capabilities, would find the bear and remove him to a more bear-appropriate place (before I inadvertently hit him with my car). Perhaps Alaska?....