I've already hit the snooze button a dozen times...Living in Yellowstone National Park, I always scan my surroundings and remain alert for wildlife encounters. I learned this strategy the hard way, such as the morning I emerged from my house a bit sleepy, forgot to look both ways before walking out the door, and found myself face-to-face with a rather large bison grazing on my lawn. The encounter proved more effective than a shot of espresso for curing my drowsiness, and also forced me to add a "look both ways when exiting the house" rule to my routine.
I will now have to add a "look up" rule as well. Last week a black bear decided to nap about 30 feet up the trunk of a tree in my yard. My neighbor walked her dog under the tree in the morning, unaware that right above her head was a sizable bear. The bear remained in the tree all day, occasionally awakening to shift position and yawn, looking like we all do in the morning when we resist getting up for work. People gathered in the driveway to view the slumbering ursine, and watched as the strong winds rocked the tree like a giant cradle as the bear slept peacefully.
Here are some more photos of the napping bear.
