[quote name=\'JB Lee\' post=\'438124\' date=\'Jul 25 2008, 12:19 AM\']"It was a real surprise. We've lived her for 48 years and we've never seen a bear," Deborah Samsel said.
That is until Monday afternoon, when a young black bear decided to pay Deborah and Richard Samsel a visit.
"He had himself a good old time for about two hours yesterday afternoon," Deborah Samsel, of East Rockhill Township, said.
For two hours, the bear feasted on whatever he could find around the Samsel's Three Mile Run Road home.
He started with a trash can.
"Opened it up, pulled the trash out, pulled open a bag and proceeded to have a nice little picnic," Deborah Samsel said.
That was just the appetizer, because the bear then made its way around the house to bird feeders.
The bird feeder is squirrel proof, but apparently not bear proof.
"He just took the whole bin right out and he was laying there on the ground eating all the seed out of it. Yeah he had himself quite a meal," Deborah Samsel said.
The Samsels called the Intelligencer newspaper that took video and the couple was also able to grab a couple of snap shots themselves.
"I was within 25 feet of him, just taking pictures, but he was just laying there. He didn't seem aggressive at all," Richard Samsel said.
Of course the Samsels said they did have an escape plan.
"When we were out here, we had the truck door open in case we needed to jump in the truck, you know," Deborah Samsel said.
The bear eventually had its fill of birdseed and was on its way.
There was no sign of the bear Tuesday.
Bear sightings are common this time of year as the state's 14,000 bears look for food, officials said.
The Game Commission said if a bear appears in your back yard, don't approach it, stay calm and shout at it as if you would chase an unwanted dog.[/quote]
I choked on an artichoke.
