BEARDY CAT

That’s my new adjective. Beardy cat. Like scaredy cat, but really really scared of bears. I can handle snakes all day long, but the idea of coming face to face with a bear just haunts me.

Alaska has only recorded 6 fatalities from bear maulings in the past 130 years, and last week they had two. Two! Just when I come for a visit….

If you’re brave enough, you can read about them here.

When we finally got into the Yukon, I bought a can of bear spray. Evidently Canada does not like for you to bring it across the border, but I bought it after I crossed the border so I’m legal. Now, how is a southern gal supposed to use this stuff?

The lady who sold the can to us asked if we knew what to do with it. I’m a Texan and we don’t have bears, so how should I know? She proceeded to tell us that we need to be up-wind from the bear. So…..in the event a bear is coming for you, please make your way around them to be up-wind? What? I’m sure that I will be panicking all over and that would be the last thing on my mind.

She also told us to cover our nose and don’t inhale the fumes. I can handle those basic instructions. Check. Lastly, she said to know how far the can will spray and don’t be that far from the bear. Try to get a little closer if you can. Oh my!

Now that I have my can of bear spray,  I’m terrified to go out hiking or anything. Something I was looking forward to doing in Alaska. Apparently,  I’m not the only one afraid. A local news correspondent was standing in an empty parking lot at a popular trailhead. He said it would normally be filled with cars, but it was empty. Bears rule!

Speaking of beards, Darin and dad are becoming mountain men and not shaving during their Alaskan adventure. Here is a picture of them early in June in Bismarck.

And a picture of them today on July 1st. Dad started growing his a few days earlier than Darin.

I have a lot of catching up to do on the blog. We’ve been sick for almost a week now and hope to get our energy back any day now. We got our side window replaced in Anchorage and a rock from a gravel truck chipped our front window right after we left the repair shop. Ugh! We don’t plan to do anything about it until we reach the lower 48.