Sunday, September 24, 2006

Thar's a Bar out Thar

We live on a farm along the edge of a long valley. If I turn right at the end of my driveway, the dirt road ends just a couple properties down (at the river), so I turn left towards the hill where I almost immediately have to choose between right and left--south and north. In either case, the west side of the road is wide open across the farms, and the east side is snugged up against the edge of the hill.

Today I went north as I do roughly half the time. I wouldn't want either part of the road to get lonely without me for too long, so I try to split it fairly evenly! :P About half a mile north I stopped dead in my tracks--imagine a cartoon character doing that little skid. Not far ahead of me, a young bear clambered out of the ditch, crossed the road, and carried on up the hill.

I suddenly realized that I'd been meaning to go south all along, turned around, and scooted on out of there. Just a young bear, a smallish bear...but they are often accompanied by mama bears who take exception to the presence of others.

I should start looking seriously at indoor cardio equipment.

5 comments:

Margaret M. Fisk said...

Oh my! But really, it's wonderful that you're so close to the real world where you are and indoor equipment would just be boring in comparison. Haven't you seen the ones that run a movie so you can PRETEND you're on a real road?

Erin M. Hartshorn said...

Why indoor equipment? I'll bet that really got your cardio rate up! ;-)

Valerie Comer said...

Some days boring sounds good, I have to say. Maybe I'd watch tv or something while treadmilling...(you're right, that sounds boring.)

And, yeah...but my heart full out STOPPED for a few seconds before it kicked back in! Old people have had heart attacks with less provocation.

Jean said...

Wow. We have bobcats at the ranch (I've caught a glimpse of one). I just hope we don't have mountain lions (as gorgeous as they are, I don't want one eating the dachshund for lunch). Frankly, I'm more worried about running into the wild hogs than anything -- I've seen a good-sized dead one, and hubby has seen young live ones playing in the road at the house site. They grow some nasty tusks.

But usually, it's the neighbor's cows and bulls we run into unexpectedly when they've found a weak spot in the fence and pushed through or jumped over.

Wise choice on deciding to go South, though. As you know, mama's aren't to be messed with.

Valerie Comer said...

Goes to show that the Wild Animal to be Feared changes wherever you live! And a bull can certainly qualify...