Bears happen. Here in Montana black bears do wander into our town (well, small city) and cause a lot of problems in orchards and dumpsters. Fish and Game or Wildlife and Parks will humanely deal with them pretty quickly. Usually they dart them and relocate them, sometimes trap. They almost never find it necessary to kill them. I've taken to carrying pepper spray when I'm in the mountains now (as much for wolves and cougar as for bear) and you might consider it. This is a pint aerosol that goes off with a very loud bang and sends a cloud of capsaicin. It has been known to turn charging grizzlies, which is a good trick. One experience with it will convince Black Bear to seek friendlier neighborhoods. Expect to pay forty or fifty bucks for a can. Local bear expert Jamie Jonkel says it will, in fact, deter 9 of 10 grizzlies .... There's no warranty for the tenth bear. You'd have to lay in wait for your bruin, so it may not be practical. I can imagine trying to convince my wife that I needed to sit up and stare at my trees until daybreak! Good luck. We all sympathise. :-)M

I agree that the fall is often much better for gardening than the summer. I wonder if more hybridizers don't work on late season bloomers because most visitors come at peak bloom and that is also when the flower shows are, so those late bloomers wouldn't been seen by as many people. I've heard good things about Last Snowflake (Stamile '07). In his catalog he said he doesn't know if it's pod fertile since he's done crossing when it blooms. If major hybridizers are finished crossing by the time that late or very late plants bloom, they wouldn't get many late blooming seedlings. Have you looked at Jim Murphy's intros (Woodhenge Gardens)? He has several that are listed as very late. I haven't tried any because I don't really like spiders. Juliet

hi Leasa, I enjoyed that, thanks. Havent seen any bears in my part of Hancock co., but couple years ago, saw bear tracks leading in and out of a slash pile (that I'd often walked by and wondered if that opening in it was a door to a bear den!) it was during that wierd winter where everythng was extremely warm. That day had snowed one or two inches, and I guess the warm weather had confused the bear, he'd come out, made a half circle, then went back in. Day or two ago, a fox (I think) took one of my chickens. It dug a hole in the crusty snow, watched for the right time, and grabbed one, not even two feet from the hen house. Couple days later, I was walking in woods and came upon a pile of chicken feathers. The same day bird was taken, pretty sure I saw a fisher climb a tree in my back yard. (I saw one last year at this time too, tho I'm told they dont live here) Hope this is ok to post here, no gardening talk, except mine is under some frozen white stuff! Liked the video! Sherry

Awesome spoons. Here's a link to my favorite soup featuring kale. http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-chicken-soup-with-kale-131067 Kale and Chicken Stew Serves 6-8 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 5 medium mixed potatoes; diced (I used Yukon gold, red and purple) 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 4 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion; chopped 1 large shallot; minced 2 carrots; peeled and diced 6 cups chicken stock 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese; finely grated 5 cups chopped kale 15-ounce can cannellini beans; drained salt and pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a separate sheet pan, toss the potatoes with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat. Cover and set aside. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and shallot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 15 minutes until softened. Add in chicken stock, thyme, chicken, potatoes, Parmesan, salt and pepper bring to a simmer. Add the kale and beans and simmer for another 20 minutes, until the kale is tender and the beans are hot. Lpink's note: I don't roast the chicken and potatoes ahead of time. I saute them in EVOO and then just cook them along with everything else.