Unfortunate that you had a bad experience when you were here before. I can personally assure you that the Bear neither advocates nor allows violence or the threat thereof, in any fashion. We are a small group of people currently living, caretaking and working on the ranch. We have a great social dynamic going on here with the basis being love and respect towards each other and the ranch itself. We are a friendly, hard-working group that has developed a peaceful and cooperative way to resolve whatever issues and/or personality conflicts which may arise from time to time. I'm not sure what constitutes "scary" to you but, I'm quite certain that nobody here is scary (other than me.....I'm a cantankerous old fart) but, my hearts always in the right spot. IIf you're into living communally, sharing, giving respect to the pace, pitchiing in with what needs to be done......then you'll never have a problemm with me! Hope you'll not let one bad experience taint your view of the ranch forever. It truly is a wonderful place and is on the turn around. Many people from the river area are enthusiastic about coming by to hang out with us more and more (they see a positive change) as well as past Bears returning more and more. Folks see the love and work going into the ranch for the first time in a long while and they want to be a part of it. ..........Thatch

Hey Shelly, wow so cool to hear from you. Yes I remember you, and your awesome piano playing. The bear is a ever changing place, and monkey is a syco so don't take it personal. I thought he was going to hit a few times. but I love ha monk. Things are better for me but it has been very strange. Hannah and I are no longer together she turned in my grow room and put me in jail for three months. but i'm better now.I miss the the bear and the gate house. I put so much work into the garden and the house. I dream of coming down and working on the gate house. I really loved the space from the hub. I have some pix of the gate when I first moved in.
Great to hear from you. Dakotta

i hope you will come to visit the river again someday soon! troll and i have a son now, he is 4 months old and we think of you when ever we head toward redding! we live in somes bar (below the forks road) and would love it if you were able to visit us! i am trying to attend women's gathering this weekend and looking for a ride still but i do hope you haven't given up on the ranch, it is everyone's ranch, not just those people who made you feel unwanted! we want you! hope life is treating you well, all our love pam troll and kopely

Shelley, this is Kat and I would like to disagree with your interpretation of your past experience. You were asked to leave Black Bear by the residents and elders because of your denial to participate in the communal process. I think you did experience some social abuse and it was a very unhealthy time at the Bear, but your actions didn't help the Bear any either. You then threatened that you were trying to get the claim of the gate house and subvert the legacy of the gatehouse being held by elder bears. Thank goodness there is a communal process being formed at the Bear- and a solid visitor policy. Your accusations of Monkey are unfounded and last time you accused Allegra not Monkey of such threats (all lies I'm convinced). I told you to your face that I was not comfortable with your presence at the bear because of the following:
1. You refused to hear the requests of the residents of the Bear who didn't want you to leave your infant at the gatehouse alone because it made us uncomfortable. We also didn't want you at the gatehouse because it didn't give us the opportunity to interact with you and see if we were comfortable with your presence at the ranch.
2. We asked if you could watch your dogs because they continued to destroy people's personal property and you continued to leave them at the mainhouse, while you continued to go to the gatehouse, even though we asked you not to.
3. You refused to acknowledge the concern we felt over the way you were interacting with your infant in the mainhouse- screaming at your baby and waking everyone in the mainhouse.
Because of these factors you were asked to leave the Bear and you went to go work for Monkey and Allegra- who were trying to help you. Now you accuse them of violence, which nobody I have talked to believes. The final point I would like to bring up again is that you made continual threats to file for the claim of the gate house and take it over from the Bear. Because of all these factors you have proven to be a threat to the Bear and an unstable force that doesn't promote the communal spirit of the Bear. I'm not trying to attack you, but simply refreshing your memory because you seem to forget what happened. The Bear is doing really well right now, maybe the best it has in a long time and folks that love it are going to protect that place like mam hens from people who refuse to participate in the communal process. I hope you have found some peace, kat