This spring at our cabin in Soda Springs near Donner Pass.

 

Lord Jesus , that is a scary sight Jim, for me anyways. As big and brown as they get.

 

Just for the record, my Alaska buddies saw this and said: "Grizzly Bear". It is NOT a grizzly bear. It IS a California black bear. I know it looks brown but in California, if a bear identifies as a black bear despite being brown, it is a black bear. There are no grizzlies in California. Other things, but no grizzlies. Black bears come in a variety of sizes and colors.

This guy was in terrific health, IMO. His coat was beautiful, no scars from fights, very well fed (we have had an abundant wild crop of berries and other goodies bears crave leaving the nature folks to say we are in for another big snowy winter) and quite large. I was not going to get too close for a selfie!

 

somewhere around 1966, my mother's cousin, Sally was going home from the Fryeberg Fairgrounds late one night and ran into a 600 pound black bear with her 62 VW beetle.
She didn't realize what she hit at first and got out walked back to see what it was. upon realizing it was a very large black bear she quickly jumped back in her car and drove away.
When she got to a payphone, she called the police station and reported the accident. You do have to read this in a very slow cadence with very good articulation with a backwoods NH accent.
"I have to call and report an accident. I hit a bear about a mile or so from the Maine border on 302.
Now, I know I'm not supposed to leave the scene of an accident but I'm not sure if it's dead and I wasn't about to hang around and find out!
I would sure appreciate it if you could send someone around to make sure for me."

I am sad to say that was the end of the VW beetle as hitting 600 pounds bent the frame and totaled it.

I haven't thought about cousin Sally for a while. It's odd that I went looking tonight, as she passed away on this past Wednesday at the age of 90.

 

Jerry have you taken over Stephen King’s persona?

 

^ It sounds to me like she did the right thing by not hanging around that accident scene. May she RIP.