I love bears!

...decided to draw in my journal...keeps my mind from wandering.

love and peace always ~ Kathy

Worms and bears and stuff like that...plus a discount coupon!

These adorable little caterpillars are all over the place right now!  They are so cute...and curious, but I'm pretty sure they will sting the crap out of you!  And then there's the bear...

...he started showing up at our bird feeders about a month ago.  We haven't seen him in a couple of weeks...maybe he/she is out looking for a mate to hunker down with this winter!  Here he is with a mouth full of suet!  And then there's the deer...

...we have several families of deer that live in our forest...this is one of the babies.  They are so precious!  I love seeing them in the mornings and late afternoons. And why do I love animals so much?

Because they bring us joy.
Because they are at our mercy.
Because they teach us kindness. And compassion. And understanding.
Because they are voiceless.
Because they wish us no harm.
Because they are our companions. And because we are all animals. I will never stop being a voice, for them.

Happy Labor Day!  Enjoy 30% off from my Etsy shop!!  Use coupon code ANIMAL ~ coupon code valid until midnight Friday, September 5th!  Enjoy!

Love and peace always ~ Kathy

"There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more." ~ Lord Byron

Hunters, Bears & Forest Rangers....

For those of you that don't follow me on "Facebook", I'll give you a quick story of how this post came about. My friend Van and I headed out to Daniel Ridge Loop to go on a hike and use different settings on my new camera. Well, about 1/2 mile into the woods, we encountered three hunters that were dragging a dead bear cub behind them. Of course, I was totally freaked out by the whole thing and one of the guys said "that's damn good eatin" ~ to which I replied, "I wouldn't know and don't care to find out". So the rest of our hike was just a little sad and I couldn't stop thinking about that little baby bear. Then, when we were headed back to the parking lot, we came across a little hunting dog that had no collar, was skinny as could be and clearly had recently given birth to puppies. Nobody was around, so I assumed she had been abandoned by some hunters that didn't want her anymore. I told Van that if she followed us to the car, she was coming with us. But she stayed right on the bridge, like she was waiting for somebody. So all night long I struggled with the decision I made to leave the dog and with the harrowing images stuck in my head from the baby bear and it's killers. So I started writing about my whole experience on facebook and, honestly, was quite surprised by the outpouring of responses I received. Thanks to Debra {whom is awesomely awesome, by the way}. the Transylvania County Forest Ranger caught wind of my story and paid me a visit last night.

First of all, he told me what Debra had already researched and found out {and also mentioned that she knows the law better than him} ~ bear hunting is legal in this county, it's legal in most of Pisgah National Forest, including all the hiking areas, and baby bears can be killed, as long as they weigh over 50 lbs.! BUT, the hunters are only allowed to kill 1 bear each per season and they are supposed to report every kill, so it can be recorded. He said that these bear killers are just a different breed of people and most of them are really rude and obnoxious ~ he said that he was surprised they even spoke to me at all. He said that these guys work in "packs" and carry radios to let each other know when the "rangers" were coming. I printed out the pictures I had taken and he said he could probably identify them, even though the picture was from the back. At a minimum, they would be fined for not wearing "hunter orange" when carrying a gun, which is the law in this county. Also, he was anxious to find out if they had even reported the bear, since they are only allowed 1 each year/per hunter, most hunters save their kill for an adult bear. But, he said that they get everybody and their brother a "hunting license" and then use that person's "punch card" for the bear kill. He thanked both Debra and I and said it takes people like us to put a stop to illegal killings by these guys. And then I asked him about the little dog.....

....He said that as long as he's been a ranger here, which has been many years, he's never seen or heard of these bear hunters abandoning their dogs in the forest. He said all of these guys know each other and know each others dogs, so if that little dog was waiting by the bridge {which is a pick up/drop off point}, her owner, or another hunter would pick her up. He said they wouldn't bother hauling her all the way to the forest, just to leave her there. He also said she was probably younger than she looked, since these dogs have a pretty rough life as bear hunters. He said they get in fights with the bears all the time, trying to tree them. I asked him about her collar being missing and he said that some people don't believe in the way these dogs are being treated and will take their collars off and throw them in the woods. What they don't realize though, is that this usually causes the dog more harm than good, since they are then lost from the hunters and their radios. That's how they get left in the woods. They usually find their way back to the drop off point, or to the campsite, but it can take days sometimes. So, by trying to do these dogs a favor, they are causing them more harm. He also said that these dogs could never make good "pets" because of how they are raised. He said he's picked up some of the dogs before and held them for the hunters. He'll let them know he has them and they'll come pick them up. So, he said I did good by leaving the dog where she was, which made me feel tons better. So, that's that ~ thanks for all the comments everybody! I'm off the Zumba class!!

♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Whew....what a day!

Well yesterday was a sorta blur...my husband ended up in the emergency room having emergency surgery @ 2 am {Saturday}. He had a severe nose bleed that would not stop {no matter how many "google" remedies we tried and believe me, there are gazillions}. Come to find out, a small artery had split and was steady bleeding. So nothing we could have done would have stopped it. It was very scary & frightening for us both. They had to call in the surgical team {we live in a small town, so a surgical staff is not on duty 24/7 at the hospital}. So they all drag in right from bed ~ I asked them if they needed coffee or something before they started operating on my husband! They assured me that they "hit the ground running" and have done it a million times. They had to go in and cauterize the artery to stop the bleeding. Thank goodness they were able to find it! Needless to say, we didn't get back home until 4:15 am yesterday morning, both thankful and exhausted at the same time. But now, after a day & night's rest, I'm feeling 100% and he's feeling lots better! You know, I felt a little guilty when I realized just how much I love him, and what in the world would I ever do without him, while I'm sitting in the waiting room @ the hospital and he's having surgery. All that's going through my head is, gosh maybe I should have cooked him some meat loaf today, or gave him a massage, or just sat with him and had a conversation. So yes, that's what I'm doing today! All 3 of those things! And of course, what better reason to also cook some garlic mashed potatoes! The ultimate in comfort foods {besides chicken & dumplings} Yippie!And I did make this awesome little necklace yesterday with some gorgeous Keishi Pearls that I got from "J.Nic Designs" on Etsy! I named it "Free Bird" and, you know where to find it :)

So Happy Sunday!! We may get some "sneaux flurries" today! I'm spelling it like that, you know, because I'm from Louisiana and everything that ends in the pronunciation of "o" - "oh" or "ow" is spelled with an "eaux" ~ you kneaux! But, before I geaux, I just have to share one these awesome little bookmarks that my dear friend Paula is making:This one is my favorite {of course} ~ please do check out her shop! She has lots of things that would make really great Teachers/friends gifts :)

And don't forget!! 20% off from my shop until Midnight tomorrow night! {Nov. 17}
♥ & peace always ~ Kathy

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you." ~ Winnie the Pooh saying to Christopher Robin

Happy October & A 20% Discount!!!!

Happy October Everybody!!! October is my favorite month of the whole year. Not only because it's usually the best weather wise, but because of all the colors it brings. All of the leaves on my trees are starting to change from bright green to gorgeous hues of yellows, oranges & reds. And then of course, all the acorns are falling all over the place. It's like a "bombing" from the oak trees when you walk up my driveway. You can hear them tumbling through the leaves and don't dare look up. And then yesterday there was a huge pile of grainy looking wet stuff in the middle of my driveway. We couldn't quite figure out what it was, but when the guys showed up to cut down a few of our dead trees, they confirmed our suspicions ~ Bear Dung!!! A big pile of Bear Dung & the reason it was colored like grain is because they are eating the acorns right now. I had walked up the driveway to put something in the mailbox when I discovered it. And it was really fresh, too. I suspect the bear was still close by and maybe even watching me through the trees. I can only imagine what I would have done if I would have "caught him in the act" ~ *shutters* ~ So I guess it's not always true that "bears shit in the woods"! They obviously like asphalt driveways, as well!! This is a "treasury" I created last night on Etsy. I named it "I LOve Etsy". So to celebrate October, the fact that I really do LOVE Etsy, not actually seeing the bear, and my wonderful customers & friends, from right now until Midnight this Sunday {October 5th}, I'm offering a 20% discount on all purchases of $25 or more! You know the drill:

1. "Purchase" your item{s} from my shop, but don't actually complete the "Payment" part.
2. Be SURE to include "Happy October" in the "comments to seller section" during checkout.
3. Wait for me to send you an updated PayPal invoice for payment.
That's it! The reason I want you to be sure and include "Happy October" is because this offer is limited to my wonderful blog readers. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I think I'm heading out to the woods {hopefully the bears are napping right now} to practice what I learned in my "Nature Photography" class last week! Happy Friday!!!

xx0o & peace always ~ Kathy

"The mountains have always been here, and in them, the bears." ~ Rick Bass

Life In The Forest…

…so as of today, all of my strawberries have been eaten by some little critter and all of my hummingbird feeders have been emptied, leaving only sticky little paw prints on the glass containers. I can only sum up that it was raccoons or bears, but have come to the realistic conclusion that I do "live in the forest" and to expect anything less would just be unrealistic. But, I'm glad that I didn't insist on a garden {other than my herb garden}, since it surely would have been only to feed everything but us. I really didn't want a garden anyway, I'd much rather visit the Farmer's Market every weekend and come back home with a sense of supporting local farmers & my community.

Well, with the "Spring" everything else awakens, along with the flowers & trees. Like this Rat Snake that we found by our front porch last year. He came out to "play" yesterday and Ozzy & Lita didn't even pay him any mind! It was like they were used to seeing him or something. He's about 5 feet long and rather docile. I tried to take another picture of him, but he quickly slithered into his "home" under our porch steps! We decided that we would let him stay, since he will be good for keeping rats & mice away. Wayne even has said that he wants to become "his friend" and maybe even try to touch him! Now this is my husband talking, a city slicker from Boston! But I have to admit, he sure has quickly turned into a country boy and he loves it!

Now, if I can keep my "Hosta" safe from the deer this year, I'll be doing good.

And these are the cutest little "Newts" I ever saw {of course they are the only ones I've seen}

Off to the post office & the grocery store ~ Hope you are all having a wonderful Wednesday!!!

Xxoo & peace always ~ Kathy

Today I'm sharing a quote that my friend "Jen" sent – something her Dad said:

"Life has a flavor that the sheltered and protected never know, and I've tasted a lot of it" - Jen's Dad