Cousins: SInce we live up in the California mountains in a very tiny village surrounded by the Los Padres National Forest, we get to see lots of wild animals we never saw during our 27 years in Simi Valley. I've yet to see a bear here but we do have to pick up our mail at the post office and are warned, when the bears are out and around, not to go there after dark. It's an area the bears like to visit at night. One morning a woman was jogging down the mail road that leads from here to the I-5 that is well traveled all the time. She had her dog with her and she was listening to her Walkman radio and a big bear was jogging right behind she and the dog! She wasn't aware so motorists were honking to get her attention. She didn't hear them either, but, all the honking spooked the bear and it took off across the brush to an upper part of the mountain. We do see coyotes going up and down our road at night and we hear them "laughing" around our area at night. One day, while taking our walk with our Siberian Husky, a beautiful red fox crossed the road ahead of us, stopped to look at us, and went on its way. Mountain lions hang around our area so we won't use the mountain paths for our walks, though we are told the hikes on them are simply beautiful. We'll stick to our dirt roads close to houses. It's quite beautiful up here away from civilization and using caution, a very safe, beautiful and quiet place to live. Best, Cousin Sandi