Backyard Bear

YES, that is a bear in my backyard.

YES, YES, that is a bear in front of the studio/office.

YES, YES, YES, that is a bear eyeing the one remaining birdfeeder we left up.

YES, YES, YES, YES, that is a bear hugging a tree because my dogs caught the vibe and were barking like crazy.

I could not bring myself to write about this right away, as it scared the living daylights out of me. All four of us, and my son’s girlfriend were home when the visitor appeared in my backyard. They were totally smitten by the uninvited guest. I freaked.

My husband and daughter sprang into paparazzi mode, and my son eventually ran out (which made me totally nuts) and scared it away.

I showed these photographs to a few friends. From their gaping expressions, they will probably never visit my home again. In fact, I showed the images to my friend's Janet and Danny, and when Janet visited this week, I could tell that her bear antennae was working overtime as she tip-toed (in her high heels) out of her car. Her husband, New Yorker cartoonist, Danny Shanahan then published this cartoon:

Check out the whole bizarre bear story here and find out what to do if you have a bear in your backyard.

Have you had any experiences with bears in your yard? If so, please tell me before I visit.

Photo Credit: Ted Fink Cartoon: Danny Shanahan for the New Yorker

Furniture: Forest-Friendly

Last month, Chronogram asked me to cover a story about the Wickham Solid Wood Studio in Beacon, NY. I just love sinking my teeth into this kind of assignment. Not only is Jessica Wickham's handcrafted furniture local and heirloom quality, it is sustainable in ways that give back without harming our at-risk forests. Jessica’s furniture has the ability to teach us how to tread carefully with our natural resources, and still create stunning products. Jessica possesses a rare combination of skills. She can look at a downed tree in the forest and see its inherent potential. From an ecological perspective, a responsibly-sourced tree becomes the perfect green building material. When I met Jessica, I was inspired by the respect she has for the rich wood grain and the natural shape of trees. With minimal processing (low or no-VOC stains), traditional joinery, and natural finishing techniques reminiscent of both Japanese traditions and Shaker sensibilities. Jessica has found just the right mix of  "process, poetry, and patience". Her functional pieces could be considered the exact opposite of the glut of mass-produced furniture we see in stores.

The woods around my property (left) may seem like a tree mecca, but a quick understanding of how forests have suffered, can illuminate the importance of sustainable forestry.

Since I’ve been brushing up on my earth science (haven’t used that term since my kids were in middle school) for my posts for the EDF's Moms Clean Air Force, I’ve learned that deforestation caused by air pollution, acid rain and other environmental hazards aids in the erosion of our forests. This has become a leading contributor towards the loss of biodiversity. Intact eco-systems provide an intricate web that controls floods, conserves oxygen, soil, insects and creates diverse habitats. While forests do regrow, when older forests decline they eventually lose more carbon to the atmosphere than they absorb, thus fueling climate change.

Whew, science lesson over. My husband Ted is an environmental planner, so I generally leave these types of granular discussions to him. But, I’m digging in and exercising my brain, as I discover the depth of environmental issues our children will inherit.

Once again, I’m noticing that if there is one thing that will get us beyond the planet's sustainability woes, it will be an eco-enlightenment that includes a lifecycle analysis of everything. With style and sustainability, artisans like Jessica Wickham are leading the way.

Credit: black walnut bench and headboard, Wickham Solid Wood Studio

The Home Ice Advantage: Make An Eco-Skating Rink

I am convinced that there are certain experiences from your childhood that define whether you like winter or not. I am a lover of everything winter. I can thank my hockey player dad for that. For my brother and I, winter had its own culture with unique customs and rituals that included a backyard ice skating rink. The first snowfall of the season, my dad would unveil his latest collection of sleds, skates and skis that he had gathered at tag sales. In the garage he would fix up his finds for all the neighborhood kids. His goal was to get all the kids on the block to love winter. Then he would haul out four long wooden two by fours and a plastic liner and water our backyard to make a skating rink. If we lived in a higher elevation, I am sure he would have created a ski slope and a rope tow to tower over the rink. As it was, it was quite unusual in my New York suburban neighborhood to have an ice rink in the backyard.

Some of my favorite memories are of my dad all bundled up very late in the evening hosing down our backyard ice rink like he was watering prized roses. I remember Dad was overly eager to get up early in the morning after a snowfall to shovel the rink. Then he would set off to the more important task of clearing the driveway. For the kids, our reward was all the afterschool exercise we could get and unlimited hot chocolate.

Those fond memories are laced with embarrassing ones too. Some not so cherished teenage moments. Don't most embarrassing things happen to teenagers? I was mortified when I found out my dad would greet my male friends at the front door with a ruler to measure the size of my friend's feet for skates. Then he would rummage through the skate box and with skates and hockey sticks in hand, I would have to catch him before he would wisk the the poor boy into the backyard to "see what the kid was made of" (whether he could skate or not).

I have long since gotten over those embarrassing moments. For years, we recreated all that wintery fun in my backyard with my kids.

DIY ECO-FRIENDLY ICE RINK - CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS