Bear-y Busy

Right on the heals of this post, almost as if I asked for it, I present to you:  "What happened Last Night."

This is our drain pipe.  Isn't it pretty?  As far as drain pipes go you know..  I love to glance at it as I'm passing.  OK, not really, maybe it's the apple tree behind it I am so fond of?  Notice how close the apple tree is in relation to the drain pipe, which happens to be connected to our home.

The one we live in, you know?

Let's take a closer look at the lovely tree.  I don't know what kind it is. (and actually it belongs to our lovely neighbors, but they've made it clear that their apples are our apples so I'm just running with it..)  But we have so enjoyed watching those little nuggets of fruit grown and turn colors.  Now they are the perfect shade of ruby red and peach and quite remind me of the colors in the my new fabrics.

Ahh, so pretty!  Here, take a closer look:

Now, last night we were sitting in the living room, enjoy one of our favorite shows while working on some quilt market projects.  It was 11:00 and a nice cool breeze was blowing through the large window that looks out into the front yard.  A knock on the door..

We stopped and glanced at each other with quizzical faces.

"Who is at the door at this time of night?"

Dustin went to answer it and what I heard made my heart beat a wee bit faster.

"I was walking by and just wanted to let you know (he said this like it was an exciting, good thing) that you have a bear in your tree!"

Now let me stop here for a moment.  I mentioned before how I have been fearing this, right?  Would you be excited to hear that there is a BEAR 20 feet from your front door?  Would you run to your room and hide under the covers?

Not if your name is Dustin.

He ran to get a flashlight and bounded outside with our happy-go-lucky neighbor and shined the light in the tree.  Yes, I married a brainiac.  (I fully warned him that I was going to share my view of his intelligence on this chapter of our adventure in living in the wild.  He knows he will be mocked but is holding his ground that he was a safe distance away and the bear was not going to charge him.)

Whateva'.  I stayed at the door.

The thing had to be at least 5 feet long and have a head the size of a basketball.  Munch munch, rustle rustle.  For about an hour.

This morning, I went outside to view the leftovers.

Every rustle I heard had me whipping around like there might be a mass murderer behind me.  Dustin finds this quite hilarious and tells me that they are much more afraid of us then we are of them.  But I didn't see the bear staying close to his house.  Do I go to his front door and munch on the pretty apples in his yard?  NO  Because I am much more afraid of him than he is of me.

All right, moving on.  :)

This week I am turning in the manuscript for my book!  Hooray!  If you look around the sidebars, you can find the title.  I spent the morning going over design concepts for the book and I love what's churning out.  Can't wait to share more with you guys.  More on it soon, promise.

We are shipping off our crate for quilt market on Friday.  Speaking of market, I'm going to be teaching a schoolhouse on Friday the 9th.  I am teaching it with Miss Paula and we're going to be covering some easy projects that will help your shop display shine!  Here is the date, time and room info for our schoolhouse as well as a sneak of the projects I'll be sharing.

Please consider it your personal invitation.  :)

OH, and I will offer these up as free project downloads when I return from market for those of you that won't be able to come.

Michael Miller has a slot of classes before and after in the same classroom I believe, and they always have great giveaways, so try and plan to just come and get comfy.  I'll be giving away a few samples, so do try and come if you can!

That's all for now, I'm going to go for a walk down my bear-less (hopefully) street and then get back to work!

xo-

Sandi

Comments

[Sivje Parish]

Yikes Sandi! Your hubby does not sound dumb, just like a big, not yet grown-up, curious little boy!
But I want to know if you have any apples left. Any? I hope?

Your display ideas remind me of when I used to do window displays at the Laura Ashley stores probably 20 years ago. I LOVED doing the windows! Displays are so much fun.

I hope you have lots of fun at Market. Wish I was going.

[Jana Nielson]

My nephew was bit by a bear through the side of his tent....Be afraid....be VERY afraid!

[Lindsay]

How scary! I don't even like the squirrels in my yard, I can't begin to imagine a bear! Yikes!

[Bridget B.]

We live in bear country so I'm really glad I don't have any fruit trees around. I would be tempted to pluck off all the apples so there's nothing to bring him (or her) back ;).

Love the letters you have in the last picture!

[Sarah Galbraith]

Oh Man...I'd be freaked out too! (my big thing I am afraid of is snakes....but bears. Oh, my!) I can NOT wait for schoolhouse! I will for sure be there! I am SO ready to go! That class sounds like it's gonna be a blast!

[lynette]

We've had some bear sightings in our area too, but not in the tree in my backyard...crazy!!! I still always look around for them when I'm out though...you never know! Good luck and have fun at Market!

[amylouwho]

That is hilarious! (in an "i'd-be-standing-by-the-door-too" kind of way.)

P.S. - great shoes!!

[Marie]

Wow, anyone is invited to these classes or do you need to have a pass to get into quilt market? LOVE the last pic of your cute shoes with the half eaten apple...I'd be terrified!

[kelleighr]

Hysterical!!

We went camping once, and I woke up in the middle of the night listening to a BEAR in our camp, right outside our tent! I clawed my sleeping hubby (to wake him up, you know) and we laid there while we watched the shadow of the bear walk around our tent. It sniffed. It pawed. It put its NOSE on the top of my husband's HEAD! (He's 6'4", and it was a 3 person tent, so he was touching both ends!) Twenty minutes later, I fell asleep. My husband was up all night protecting me from the bear, while I snoozed. What a memory!

Okay. But, I don't tell you this to upstage your story. Really. I live in Oregon. We don't get many bears.

PLUS, I really meant to say that I just CAN'T WAIT to get ahold of your new fabrics. I'm just dying! Seriously. Dying.

[emma]

We get koalas in our garden ocasionally. Somewhat safer than bears!

[turtle]

smile, k i would have been out with your hubby and the flashlight! You made me think back to when i was 17 and trying to go to my car one evening. My dog (3/4 wolf 1/4 shep mix) kept grabbing my sleeve of my sweatshirt andpulling me back towards the house. I was running lateand gave her grief about it. When i got into my lil VW rabbit and turned on the lights there was a 4-5 ft bear literally leaning against my front bumper. This was before cell phones and i had to drive 5 miles down the road to call back home and let the folks know to being the animals inside. Your bear couldnt resisit those apples!

[Sandi Henderson]

The class is for people attending market, which is a trade show. Sorry!
On Sep 28, 2009, at 7:02 PM, typepad@sixapart.com wrote:

[Pamela Graham]

This is our first year at market, I can hardly wait!! I hope to see you there! Pamie G.

[Dena]

Bears love apples. Living in a rural area, we're quite used to seeing wildlife wonder on our property. Although it is a little unusual to see a bear, we have seen them. I'm sure I agree with your husband about them being afraid of us. We've had instances where their is a nearby cub and the bear will attack to protect it. Lions, and tigers, and bears. Oh my! LOL

[Jen]

OH i would have been ecstatic to see the bear!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was SO hoping you got pictures of him/her!! I love wildlife :)

Have fun at market, I am really jealous and wish I could be there. I will be waiting on all of you to report back with live blogging and pictures!!

[Leigh Ann Tennant]

Congratulations on the book! Can't wait to get my little fingers on a copy!

[koralee]

Yes...bears can be a problem...a bear in an apple tree...cute name for a book! Anyways I adore all your goodies today!

[wishes, true and kind]

Great story about the bear! And that's just how it would have played at my house. My husband would have been out there in a flash!

[Carmen]

I would have loved seeing bear piccies too. Note I say this from a very safe distance in another country! :D :D Me no daft! Saying that, you want to see the size of the spiders we are getting this year. Big black furry things the size of my hand. You can see their fangy things and everything! *shudder* And they are INSIDE the house. Be thankful you just got a bear outside the house :P (Again I can say this as I am in another country so you can't hit me!)

[Rafael's mum]

Love you new fabric line and wish you every success at quilt market! I really enjoyed the videos you did last time, so nice to actually hear and see all the people there! A belated thanks for that!

Glad you and the bear (and hubby) were ok. Better a bear in the tree than on the roof (which I thought you were going to say next, lol!). My dad went to Yellowstone years ago and stayed in a cabin. On the way he encountered a huge grizzly standing ominously on his backlegs... a scary sight! Little did he know the bear was only up on hindlegs to reach the top of a rubbishbin... but my dad did not wait to find out! I would be scared too... but aren't they magnificent creatures? (from a distance.... mmmm)

[Aimee]

I am so fascinated by bears (we make a yearly trek to Tennessee to see my nephew) but, like you, appreciate distance! BTW, cute shoes!!! :o)

[Karen]

To be honest, I'd go look at the bear too!! We've seen some in the Smokey Mountains and we have a few around here in Arkansas. Maybe when all the apples are gone, he won't be back. I love your stuff. So inspiring!!

[shabby girl]

I can just imagine walking around with whiplash all the time at the slightest of leaf crackles!
Actually, I probably would have gone outside too, but I would have been terrified!

[Missy]

Oh my! I'd totally be hiding under my covers. OBVIOUSLY the bear was hungry if he was EATING! EEEEK.

[Jenny]

Oh My Stars! I would have died right there on the spot. I am terrified of bears. In fact since we go camping a lot our family motto is "There is nothing to fear but fear itself - And bears."

Good Luck at market!