Living in bear country makes for interesting times. Although I live in Crested Butte town proper, I get lots of not always welcome wildlife visitors. In the past week alone, my backyard has been host to a fox, a coyote that had just caught another creature and a bear. And those are just the ones I happened to personally see in the daylight. Having close encounters with large, potentially dangerous creatures is both thrilling and frightening, usually simultaneously. If you have children it opens your eyes to dangers beyond those you might be prepared for, and you are always resigned to the fact that your dog or cat's temporary disappearance may actually be a permanent one.
But the upside to living amongst wildlife is the great experiences you have that city dwellers miss out on. Watching a coyote catch and eat his lunch, while not for the squeamish, is a great insight into how these critters live. Yesterday a bear came into my fenced yard. I watched him wander about, check everything out, and climb a tree before making a graceful escape into my neighbor's yard. I can't even see that at the zoo.
So although there are hidden dangers (mostly to housepets pulling an all-nighter) for the most part living amongst wildlife is a potentially exciting and interesting experience. And as a former city dweller, I get a kick out of the different kinds of danger we face in a mountain town. I also like that there is no need to lock your door here to keep out people danger, but in lieu of having nocturnal, hungry wildlife raiding your fridge, a handy lock goes a long way.
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