Bears and Labor Day

I could have written about the historic accomplishments of Organized Labor today.  While it was in it's prime it gave the American Worker benefits the World had never imagined, but it got old.  I considered  writing about what Organized Labor has become.  No one needs their appetite for grilled steaks and lobster, (recession)  hamburgers and hot dogs ruined by thoughts of Andy Stern and his democratic  fundraising machine





So I decided on something different.  But First, that's not really me sitting patiently at the table, looking like I'm either waiting to be served, or trying to explain something to someone who doesn't get it..  or both.  But there a strong family resemblance.  I believe this was taken on a Labor Day, a few weeks before the trees started turning.

Labor Day has a great deal of significance for bears too.  Like humans, we know it means the end of summer.  For humans it means sending the kids back to school and getting the house winterized.  For bears it mark the beginning of eating season and finding a place to hole up for the cold months ahead.  Contrary to myth, black bear don't completely zonk out for the winter, we might sneak out once in a while,  especially around Christmas and raid a couple garbage cans full of holiday goodies.  Most of the time we do rest.  To do that,and not have to leave home much during the winter, during the fall we need to eat and we need to eat alot.  

What better time to start than Labor Day.   From it's very beginning Labor Day was celebrated with picnics.  later on these grew into fests..  The fried  chicken and cold ham  of the early years gave way to hot dogs and hamburgers.  More recently there are less large events and many, many more smaller ones.  The salads, baked beans haven't changed much, but now the main course is more likely to be steak or salmon,  if a bear gets really lucky he might find a cook out with grilled lobster and  steamed crabs.  That might be tough this year with the human recession..   In the old days when humans were having the big picnics someone might shoot a bear for joining the party, so the bears would just watch from the woods, and when the people left they'd just clean out the garbage cans.   Over the years as more humans moved away from the city and built next to the forests we worked out a deal..  It's a fair trade, they get to take pictures and the bears  get all they can eat.

Bears have to get people used to seeing them, so they have a simple Training Humans program..  It starts with simple exercise, something like this.


   


Thanks to Backyardbears for  allowing sharing of their "Jungle Jim Bears" utube post,

Once humans get used to seeing Black Bear in their back yards, the idea of them splashing in the human kids pool becomes funny.




The next step in  Human Training is not necessary, Few she bears willingly allow their cubs to participate..  humans experts consider it dangerous.  In this case the cub is a orphan.



Wild Black Bear Cub Eating From Hand, wellingtonjwf

Everything worked out fine this time..  Even though the humans overlooked a couple of the most  basic rules of beary close encounters.  Bears have an unbreakable rule.  Food belongs to them, regardless of who else thinks they own it, the bear knows it belongs to him.  Next, Like all good mothers, mommy bears believe in teaching the kids to be independent.  It's not unusual for them to let the cubs explore on their own.  But they're never far away,  That didn't apply here because the cub really was an orphan..  Not something you want to assume.


Like humans, bears like their wine... and hard apple cider is a favorite, so be sure leave some apples laying on the ground for a few days before your Labor Day Cook Out Out



Drunken Bear on Fermenting Apples, shared by justmered

Damn,  somebody shoulda checked her ID.    Underage bears can't handle their booze very well.     By the way, those open beers you leave sitting around when a bear shows up at your Labor Day Cook Out are a favorite.

This bear had such a good time at the cook-out he decided to give the hostesses a special treat..


Baby black bear visits deck and scares girls, shared utube by oslo9000

Scared....... Yeah right!!!  If they'd been scared would they have been standing by the window making movies?  Heck No!!!  They'd have hightailed it out of there..  By tomorrow they'll be telling people that poor little cub was a full grown grizzlie.  

I hope all you people that were kind enough to read this enjoy your cook-outs today.  If a bear does decide to join in the fun.. just remember, that food now belongs to him.  Just back off, better yet go inside.   In exchange you get the movies, the memories and be the office "Hero for a Day" tomorrow.

A word of advice, if one, two or three show up at your party enjoy their company, from a distance.  Don't leave food around just to try and attract them.  If you live in an area where they do it will.  Sadly some bears have become democrats and feel entitled to get paid without earning it.  Your generosity becomes expected, then demanded.

Now go enjoy yourself, and keep the phone handy, you never know.