Anna Stady loves to bake.

鈥淚 still rule my kitchen,鈥� said the 95-year-old, who does not take kindly to strangers rummaging through it 鈥� be they of the two-legged, or four-legged variety.

So when she came across a juvenile bear in the kitchen of her Union Bay home on Friday afternoon, she let it know it didn鈥檛 belong there.

鈥淚t was just after lunch,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 came in from the dining room and there he was. I said 鈥榳hat are you doing here? Get out of here.鈥� I didn鈥檛 push him, but I just sort of walked towards him and away he went.鈥�

The bear went into the middle of her yard, and after more coaxing from Stady, the bear left the property.

鈥淚 thought that was the end of that, so I went back into the house to watch television, and not too long after that I heard a racket in the kitchen,鈥� said Stady. 鈥淪ure enough, he鈥檇 come back. He鈥檇 pulled out the sugar bin and there was sugar all over the floor. He made a real mess.

鈥淲ell, now I was really cross with him, and I told him so. I said 鈥業鈥檓 really angry with you. Go home and don鈥檛 come back.鈥� I guess he believed me, because as far as I know, he hasn鈥檛 been back.鈥�

Stady said she has lived in the house for 50 years but this was the first time she鈥檚 ever had a bear on her property, much less in her house.

鈥淪omeone told me there are bears in the area but I don鈥檛 recall ever seeing one before,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hen again, I don鈥檛 get out much. I鈥檓 95 and I鈥檓 lazy.鈥�

She added she was never frightened during the ordeal.

鈥淚 never really thought about being frightened,鈥� said Stady. 鈥淗e was a beautiful bear. Black, shiny and really quite handsome.

鈥淭he bear and I got along just fine. I guess he knew he should just be a good kid and do as he鈥檚 told.鈥�

Conservation officers brought a bear trap out to the Stady residence Friday night, but the animal has not returned.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a nice container of honey in there for him but maybe he doesn鈥檛 like honey,鈥� Stady said with a laugh.

terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
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