Steven, The Bear Slayer

Okay, maybe he's not so much bear slayer as he is a bear chaser, but either way it's pretty impressive for a four year old.  Let me explain.  On Friday Steven asked if he could go check the front porch for mail.  I told him sure.  he went out the front door, and about two minutes later he came in saying there was a bear out there.  Steven has a good imagination and we hadn't seen a bear around our house in two years, so I was certain there was not really a bear out there, but I humored him by saying, "Really, come show me where."  We went outside and there was no bear, so I asked him where he saw the bear.  He pointed right next to our front porch next to the big tree in front.  I told him I didn't see a bear, and asked him where it went. He said, "I chased it away!"  I laughed and of course still didn't believe him, but playing along I told him he was very brave.  About twenty minutes later it was time to walk down the street to get Elise from school.  I started down the street and noticed a police car parked in the middle of our street.  Then I noticed the animal control vehicle parked on the side of the street.  Sure enough, there was a baby bear in a tree at the bottom of our street.  Hmmmm..... now I'm wondering if Steven really chased it away or if he made that part up.  I guess I'll never know, but it makes for a good story.  We have since had several conversations about what the appropriate response would be should he see a bear in our yard again.  Which by the way, is not petting it as he suggested when I asked him what he thought he should do if he saw it again.

Steven standing in front of our house with animal control and a police car across the street.  This picture was taken after the geniuses scared it out of the tree at the bottom of the street causing it to run back up the street and down the alley towards the elementary school  just as all the kids were pouring out and many were headed down the alley towards their homes (including us!).  The officers chased it back up towards our house to keep it away from the kiddos.  Smart.

Animal control guy across the street with his useless bean bag gun.

Steven on our front porch watching it all with his other bear friend.

 A really  bad picture of the bears bum as he ran away, taken with my phone.