Gilda Locksley

Gilda Locksley inherited a cabin in the mountains on her 18th birthday. Fresh out of high school, with a part time job and taking classes at community college, she decided to move in to save some money. Her parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all chipped with in with a new bed, some towels, plates, cups, and other housewarming gifts. That night she had a housewarming party with her closest friends. The following morning, she took the trash outside and placed it in a cheap plastic bin before going to work.

When Gilda Locksley returned home, she found pizza boxes on the ground, cans and bottles scattered about. The bin was crushed and there were paw marks in the mud.

“Now I can't sleep, someone's been to my cabin,” she said. “This bin was much too small.”

The next day, Gilda Locksley bought a big metal bin with a loose fitting lid. After a home cooked meal of fish and veggies, she took all of her trash out and went to bed. The next morning she saw a small black bear sniffing around the cabin. It gave her a fright when it knocked over the bin and started pawing through the bags. It left quite a mess before leaving to forage and Gilda Locksley said, “That bin was much too easy to open.”

Gilda Locksley called around to see what to do. A forest ranger gave her some ideas. She bought a bin with bear proof locks and took greater care with her trash. And the morning came when a mama bear brought her cub. They bit and they clawed but the trash bin stayed shut. With no prize to claim, the bears went away and never returned.

“This bin,” said Gilda Locksley. “Was just right.”