I just got this email from our NY Senator Cathy Young. Apparently the growth in bears is not just our particular area. The Governor put it quietly into law that our county can hunt bears. I say quietly because no one around here knew about that new law until the local paper mentioned it. Here's her email: "Dear Ann, Black bears are an important and natural part of our environment, and their population in New York is growing. As the number of bears increases, sightings in our area are becoming increasingly common and the likelihood of interaction with people inevitably rises. With an estimated 6,000 to 8,000 bears in New York's woods and forests, it is important to know how to avoid bears and how to react if you come in contact with a bear. Black bear attacks on humans are extremely rare. However, damage to property is much more common. Follow these tips to steer clear of bears and protect your family, pets, and home: Never feed bears intentionally; feeding creates human-bear conflicts and is illegal. If a bear learns it can be fed by humans, it will become more bold and aggressive towards people. Avoid leaving out food and garbage that will attract bears. This includes bird feeders, which should be removed after April 1 if there is a risk of attracting bears. Remove the grease from gas and charcoal grills after use. Do not leave out pet food or even empty dishes, which can still attract a bear. Do not operate a refrigerator or freezer outside or on an outside porch. Bears will be able to smell what is inside. If you are camping in the woods, there is an even greater need to exercise caution: Keep your campsite as clean as possible. Do not leave out food, coolers, or anything else that may carry the scent of food, including the clothing worn while preparing or eating a meal. Cook and eat before dark. Bears become more active after sunset. If you do encounter a bear, keep these tips in mind: Never approach or surround a bear. Any action that makes a bear feel threatened can provoke an aggressive response. Be especially cautious around cubs. Mother bears are very protective. Use noise to scare bears away. Yelling, clapping, or banging pots will help frighten the bear off. Never run. If in close quarters, back away slowly. Do not throw food at an approaching bear. It will further encourage them to approach humans. By following these tips and precautions, we can ensure that black bears keep to themselves and conflicts are avoided. Working together, we can maintain and protect our bear population, while also protecting people and their property. For more information on New York's black bears, visit the Department of Environmental Conservation's website at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6960.html. As always, never hesitate to contact me if there is anything I can help with. Warmest regards, Senator Cathy Young 57th District Albany Office: 307 Legislative Office Bldg Albany, NY 12247 518-455-3563 District Office: 700 West State Street, West Gate Plaza Olean, NY 14760 716-372-4901

joan mn, the yearling is Hope, Lily's year-old cub. We got to see her being born on last year's den cam. :-) According to the Bear Watchers, female cubs stay with their mothers for quite a long time.

Sorry I was having a bad weekend, I didnt mean to lash out, Im just upset with the whole situation....I had no intention of harming his visitation, he has visitation set up already, he just hasnt had the chance to change it to have her come spend the summers with us for a little while. BM said to the law guardian that she wouldnt mind that, but then when I spoke to her she said that was never going to happen, that her daughter was never going to leave the state. I never said I wanted her to bring Abby to me, I want her father to see her, that's all. I do not EXPECT her to let me see Abby. I seriously was just trying to get along with her and she hurt my feelings with what she said so, I am Human, lashed out, it was a mistake and I cant take it back..... So anyway, he does have visitation, it jsut doesnt work since he isnt in the same state anymore. She also never told the courts she was moving, so when he was gone, they had a court date in the wrong county....Things have just been so tough, and I guess I just want to understand why BM is being this way. The relationship ended badly, I understand that, but it was her that cheated and gave up on him. and took his daughter away without saying why... I guess she knows thats the only way she can hurt him...and its working.....and in the process she is hurting me too. I just want to understand why she is not thinking of her daughter in all this.....Oh and about the phone calls, she doesnt have an answering machine, it just keeps ringing and ringing, and she will not give her cell phone number. Her house phone is private, and whenever she calls my husband, it is from a private number, and its not always from her home phone so she blocks her cell phoen number too, idk why, cause she gave him a fit about not having his cell phone number......Im really sorry for being a jerk on this forum... I just took it all as a personal insult and this is a very hard situation so it made me feel worse then I already felt.....I guess all I can do, is believe that God has a reason for this and that God has a plan that will work out in the end for all of us, including BM. All I care about is Abby and I just want her to know that her father and I love her very much, and Im scared of all the time we have been away from her that she will think that her father dosnt love her and he does. He donst like confrontation, like any guy, and when he ahs to fight just to talk to his daughter, it stresses him out a great deal. I know its not an excuse.... I just see what he has been through with all thsi and most of all he doesbnt want to see his daughter get hurt so he just doesnt bother calling cause he doesnt feel like fighting all the time. I just wish this whole situation was different...Things will eventually work out, just not when i want them too......

I had mixed feelings about the movie. Having read and reread the books countless times since I was a young child I knew going in that there was no way the filmmakers were going to be faithful enough to the book to make me happy and I was right, although on a much lesser scale than I'd feared. What bothered me most was the parts where dialogue was needlessly changed (i.e. the scene was exactly the same and instead of lifting the excellent and important dialogue from the book the writers inserted insiped dialogue instead for no apparent reason) like the scene in the Beavers' house where the children ask the Beavers about Aslan. I also disliked the slight changes to the Beavers' characters. I felt as if they were used for comic relief, where in the book they were at times slightly silly (Mrs. Beaver wanting to take her sewing machine along when fleeing the wolves) but in a way that did not make them objects of ridicule. It seemed to me that Lewis respected them and the movie-makers did not. The river-rafting scene was just ridiculous, why add that in out of nowhere? But after groaning and complaining about all of the drawbacks I have to make clear that overall I loved the movie. I thought that for the most part it kept wonderfully to the story in the book and the casting was excellent. I really liked the actors who played the children. The CGI was amazing. Seeing all of the mythical creatures arrayed in the sweeping battlefield scene shots took my breath away. I'm so glad they waited until now to make this movie, it would have been a shame to have missed out on that if the technology hadn't been up to it. As far as the professor's lack of suprise at hearing of another world- in the book this is clearly not a new concept for him, but I don't believe it was made as clear in the movie. I'm not sure why. I'm really looking forward to the next movie. Hopefully they will all be as well-done as this one was.