We were told a lot about bears in California. They were described as ordinary little dogs that are quite small, barely walk, and don't bother anyone. For the first half of June, we desperately wanted to meet such a 'doggy' in person, but our desire lasted until the moment we decided to relax and have a little whiskey. So, I go out to the balcony to get some fresh night air, when suddenly I see a huge, no, HUGE animal elegantly moving its strong paws along the road. Naturally, the thought that originated in St. Petersburg—namely, to pet the cute little bear—vanished instantly, and I didn't really want the whiskey anymore either.

After that, we encounter bears on our way home almost every night. During the day they hide in the forest, and in the dark, when it's quiet and no one is around, they look for 'easy' food, specifically in trash cans. The police monitor very carefully to ensure that residents, cafe owners, and shops have mandatory locks on their containers. The thing is, a bear that has gorged itself on such accessible food stops hunting, doesn't go into hibernation, and then dies. And, unfortunately, the bears still manage to stick their paws into any crack and open at least some part of the container.

Residents hang wires with adjustable current at the entrances to their homes because there are cases when a bear breaks into the house and eats all the food in the kitchen, and the local police drive after them in cars and try to send them back to the forest. There have been no recorded cases of attacks on humans at Lake Tahoe. People aren't particularly afraid of them because they follow the rules of conduct when encountering a bear.

It's not for nothing that a grizzly is depicted on the California flag.

P.s. and behind our store, a huge family of raccoons just lives.