It's official.  Spring has arrived in Orange Country, New York.  There is a large, round white moon hanging low in the night sky, a brisk chill in the air and the first nocturnal visit from our local neighborhood black bear.

Somewhere around 2:45AM the dogs began barking aggressively and incessantly.  I had no choice but to wake up and investigate.  There he was…  walking around the block looking in garbage cans for food.

For your reference, here is a photo of him when he was just a cub ('03).

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s171/LadyinRedDS/Home%20and%20Garden/bear.jpg

It took about 45 minutes after the bear left to calm the dogs down.  Now, I hope to salvage some of my night's sleep.