Back Off Bear

I’ve been suffering from one of the worst colds I have ever had in my life. One day it’s my chest, then it’s hacking and coughing, and yesterday it was hammers pounding my head. It’s my sincere wish that none of you get this, because it’s really , really nasty. My head hurt so bad yesterday it affected my balance, and I almost crashed a couple of times. At my age I don’t want to be falling down and getting bruised up on top of feeling terrible.

This morning my ears are ringing, but I’m feeling good enough to sit and write.

I hardly ever write about Bear Spray, but I got a field report from southwest Virginia, one of the small towns up in an area around the Old Homestead Resort, in the mountains. Mike’s kids were playing in the backyard with Scooter, the family mutt, when Scooter started making a lot of racket. Roger, the ten year old, ran to the garage and came running back to his younger brother Pat, with Scooter along side.

A young black bear was in the back yard. Scooter made a couple of runs at him, barking and snarling up a storm, but the young bear seemed non plussed and continued moving closer. Roger then stepped forward and sprayed Mace Bearspray in the direction of the young bear. The bear stopped, sniffed, and didn’t move for about 30 seconds. Then he turned and left.

Scooter followed him barking and snarling.

Younger brother Pat said, “Back off, bear!” raising his arms.

All this happened while Mike and his wife were working in the front yard. The kids told them the story over lunch. Mike had bought the bearspray about six months ago, and showed Roger how it worked a day or so after he received it. He then put it on his worktable in the garage, and it sat there until Roger came and grabbed it. Until it happened, bear sitings were just something on television, and nobody they knew had actually seen one themselves.

Now it’s real, and Mike is sure glad he made that order when he did.

If you’re prepared, you’ll never be surprised,

Michael Gravette