The Giving Tree

Our little apple tree next to the greenhouse had a bumper crop this fall. We picked quite a few apples before the animals caught on, but Monday night, while we were in Salem, it was like feeding time at the zoo.

First, it was our practically resident doe and her two fawns...

and then the mama bear and her two cubs...

who spent about seven hours going up and down the tree, eating apples, and doing what bears famously do in the woods - on our grass.

A couple videos showed "Mama Bear standing up and leaning on the plastic fabric of the greenhouse which thankfully didn't tear.  I was also thankful one of them didn't fall through the top of the greenhouse, as some of the branches extend over the top.

During daylight, the squirrels carried off apples to eat on our front porch or by the woodshed.

When the bears took a break, the raccoon ran in for its share, back and forth, apparently stashing the apples somewhere.

Last night we were able to discourage the bears from coming back by putting a radio in the greenhouse, tuned to a non-stop preacher, and a back lit oscillating fan for movement.

Today, we picked all remaining apples, pruned out the broken branches, and cleaned up the debris. The tree's bark has deep claw marks through its bark, also.  We'll be more ready next year now that we know what to expect.