Before coming up this week, I took the truck in to get the oil changed. While in the waiting room I decided to brush up on "Montana Outdoors" magazine reading. I read about black bear trapping, collecting bear hair and other things bear-related. One particle point of interest was the map showing the areas in which black bears are prominent. Missoula is a one of the places black bears call home.
We get to our place in Lolo early on Tuesday night, and Kevin takes us to dinner at Lolo Steak House. After dinner, we head back to the cabin to sit by the river in the moonlight. How romantic you think? No, the dog just needed to pee. We retire early but in the middle of the night I was awoken by loud crashings and thunderings. There was a bear that had came in from the unlocked back door. He was tossing things around the downstairs snorting and slobbering searching for food we must have not put away very well. I start trying to alert Kevin but my fear had locked my throat and poking him in the shoulder was inefficient. Finally he awakens me by saying, "Amber, your dreaming, it's okay." I relate my nightmare to Kevin. Then,relieved to have been dreaming I close my eyes and drift off again.
The next day my friend from home, Ely, comes for dinner. Kevin prepares grilled new potatoes and tasty chicken thighs, while I make a light blue cheese vinaigrette for the salad. Ely brings the beer and we sit outside enjoying the view and the great company that old friends always supply.
As we clear the away the dinner debris, I give Bubba a few bones, " You can't give dogs chicken bones." says Ely. Looking at him quizzically I respond, "yes, you can, we did it all the time growing up." He shrugs and Bubba inhales the vestiges of our dinner.
Neither of us have the energy to actually wash and put away the dinner dishes so we fall into bed leaving the mess behind, "I'll do them first thing in the morning." I tell Kev and we drift off to sleep; However, only a few short hours into our slumber, Kevin and I are startled from sleep by a noise. This time it's not a dream. There is a noise an actual noise, "Did you hear that?" Kevin whispers. "Yes." I reply eyes wide in shock as we both try to figure out if it is a burglar out here in the woods, or maybe a badger or raccoon. Neither of us say it, but I'm still thinking BEAR after my previous night's dream. Like the stealthy hunter he is, Kevin grabs his .357and heads for the stairs. Noiselessly, I slip from the bed and make my way towards the head of the stairs, when I see the dog. Bubba is laying on rug instead of his blanket, but he doesn't look alarmed or scared. I notice on his blanket there is a large wet frothy mess, and then it dawns on me, "It's okay, the dog threw up." I yell down to Kevin as I shake my head as Ely's words ring threw my head "You can't give a dog chicken bones".
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