Thank you for the kind words Krista. Sammie is eating a grape which she enjoys almost as much as bananas. Diane, Sammie is also fond of roses, as are the other squirrels here. They are considered a pest but are actually a vital part of the ecological system, since they form the main source of food for the falcons, hawks and eagles. It would be a disaster if they were to be eradicated. No, I'm not on a drip system for the roses but hand-water, which gives me a chance to study the roses, squash aphids and murder grasshoppers. I also deadhead while I'm watering. Thank you Carol and le jardin, it is so satisfying to read your words of praise. I only hope that all of you who have rose gardens will post pictures; it's one of my greatest joys to see others' gardens and immerse myself in different places with their beautiful roses and other plants. Ingrid

Hi there, Becky, Your entire thread (well, a link to it) was posted over in the Cacti & Succulents Forum (it must've really had an impact on the individual who posted it), and I came on over to check it out. I have to say, I'm all astonishment, in complete awe, and thoroughly moved. This has been an unbelievably beautiful story. You've been part of an amazing blessing. Few things are this magical - which is an utter shame, truly. As a species, we expend so much energy separating ourselves from the miracle of life. You have surrounded yourself in it. Oh, that the rest of mankind would be so attuned to its Mother. I will admit, much of the thread I skimmed over. (As a quick aside, you really should consider having this story published as a book or photojournal.) I did catch the few posts from such folks as "joepyeweed" and others. Their comments aren't without merit. They have some real and valid concerns, and I don't disagree with their arguments. I think, however, that theirs, in contrast to yours (and, it would appear, the majority of everyone else here), paints the situation in an either/or scenario - either the bears are allowed human contact, or they're not. One position says you're doing just fine; the other says that you're interfering with nature, and (thus) putting at risk not only any humans the bears might decide later on that they're not afraid of, but also the bears themselves (as a consequence of a lack of fear of humans). Bears are wild animals, and should be treated as such. They need to be afraid of humans, so that they'll stay away from humans, and human foods, etc. I suggest a third perspective - one, I think, that would actually require a paradigm shift. As I said, as a species we expend so much time, energy, effort and resource trying to separate ourselves from the natural world; this is as much a result of our notion that we actually are separate from the natural world as it is a prime contributing factor to that notion. (We think we're not part of nature, so we separate ourselves from nature; we've become so removed from nature, that we don't recognize that we're actually part of it.) I suggest that this notion we've developed that we are separate from nature is folly (indeed, it's responsible for much of the destructive, overconsumptive behavior that is presently destroying the Earth), and that the idea that we need to maintain that separation is flawed. Your contact with the bears is, in my opinion, natural. You chose to live in their natural habitat; but instead of trying to drive them away, you chose to live peacefully in harmony with them. You weren't domesticating them. You gave them a chance at survival; and (at least at the time of your last post) you were successful. They recognize you by scent, by sound, and by sight. I don't know how much and what kind of contact the Native Americans had with the bears back before the New World was colonized, but I'd venture to say you have lived with these bears...

Thanks for the response, Loris, and so glad you enjoyed my article! I agree, the young cardinals are noisy, but then all the baby birds are when they want food! I love it, though, because we have our windows open, and as soon as I hear them squawking, I can rush over and watch. Today there was a squirrel doing contortions trying to leap from our hammock to our mixed seed feeder, and it was so funny watching him. We have that feeder strung on a string in the very middle of the back yard, so they can't jump onto it from any trees or straight up. And the squirrels don't seem to care about any of the other seeds, other than the one for sunflowers, but we finally learned at got one of those spring ones that close up if something too heavy lands on the perch. The few squirrels that originally tried it must have passed the word on to the rest, hardly any squirrels try to get seeds there any more. Happy Spring--and right around the corner, Happy Summer! Darlene

Hi no-green-thumb!~You really do have a lot of hidden potential. It has been a long winter; I am in IL, so I know how different winter and spring can look! Still waiting for plants to "pop" here, although a little green is finally peeking through. I did a paver installation in my landscape construction class. They need a gravel base, and proper grading. Their installation makes them more impervious to water than flagstone, which will heave slightly, so IMO flagstone is not the best choice for a patio right next to the house. They tend to be somewhat expensive. BUT the cost of installation of your existing patio included the flagstone itself, which you still have and can re-use, so don't despair! We have a flagstone patio in the far corner of my backyard, and I think that could look lovely with your forest backdrop. It is really not expensive to do, just labor intensive. Many nurseries have staff that might be able to do the job or recommend someone, so if DIY is not an option, you should get several bids before proceeding. Or, this is what I would do if it was MY yard... I think it would be best if you had a deck installed; one without steps, just a walkout that extended from the corner all the way to the purple fence to the left of your ac unit. Replace that panel with six foot cedar fence panels, to hide the AC from view. To add interest, stagger the fence heights. The deck would have an octagonal cut-out for the tree, and low wide steps to the flagstone path connecting it to the cement patio. The flagstone path would be wider at the steps and narrower towards the patio, but it would be at least three feet wide, four feet would be better. I wouldn't touch the stone edged bed of hostas and ferns, except to maybe trench the edge slightly, so that the stones "sink" and are no longer a problem when you mow. I really dig (no pun intended) the natural stone and flagstone combination. However, the wooden deck and cement patio are both more practical surfaces for grilling and eating, more sure-footed. I agree that the cement patio is one logical place for your existing grill. Since that was also expensive to install, why not re-use it? Have you seen these type of gazebos, they're a great way to define the eating area from the lounging/bar area closer to the house? They are designed to be taken down and stored in the winter. Here is a link that might be useful: Gazebos