a bear-tale.

You know the saying about something being a fish tale...you know, it was THISSSSSS big (with arms dramatically outstretched). so forget fishtales, this is Alaska!!  Let's change that to a bear-tale.

This week was my last Ruhi Book 8 Unit 1 class. It has been a real joy both to me and to Adam who gets to go hiking the night I am at class. He jokingly calls it God-class, but really, we both get to do magic for our souls---me through Ruhi and him through nature.

So this week i get home at 930, its dark outside and there's no sign of adam, neah or matt. i know they've gone to an area that's supposed to be closed because of a bear running over some guy (literally...not maiming) a couple weeks ago. when they finally appear at like 1015, they start telling me in excited voices how neah chased off two bears with her ferocious barking. i asked, "seriously?" like 8 times before they finally admitted that no, in fact, they didn't see any bears, although she did bark at some phantom in the bush that could have been a bear. or it could have been nothing. with her both are about equally plausible.

gullable, folks.  also, you would think i should have figured out when my spouse is not speaking the full truth....gullable.

Booties, bike, and a bear??

Sadly, this is going to be epically less dramatic than watching her prance, highstepping down the stairs. Here's Neah's first time running in the booties with the bike. Adam only had to run over her a couple times today ;) It does give you a good idea of the pulling that caused those damn blisters.

Oh, and the crazy neighbor downstairs says there was a good sized black bear in the back yard two days ago.....

punching bears

there are techniques to preventing yourself from getting eaten and they vary by types of bear. did you know this? here's my summary (ahead of our weekend camping trip):

1. Brown Bear: Play dead.
2. Black Bear: Fight hard
3. Polar Bear: S*&^ Out of Luck

last night adam and matt came home from their hike to announce that they had seen an entire herd of moose (aka 3) and that they had wrestled them bare handed. clearly these guys are going to have great "fish" tales to tell one day. then they decided to tell me it was right before adam punched a grizz in the nose. Like KAPOW.

uh-huh. right.

then, today i find this article, where homegirl seriously punched a bear in the nose:
http://www.adn.com/2011/08/31/2041534/juneau-woman-saves-her-dog-by.html

Adam says the only reason it didn't eat her was because "...the bear thought she was feeding it and then she took the snack away and it was confused."

bells, bears, bwahah

Yesterday around lunch time there was a major bickering match going on in our tiny little apartment. Not involving me. I know---you are in shock it wasn't with me. Adam and Matt (our newly moved to Alaska from iowa/ohio friend--just kidding, kansas) were gearing up to go backpacking when Matt hoisted his backpack on. The tiny apartment filled with the sound of a herd of Santa's Reindeer at Christmas. If you are thinking jingle bells, good guess.

Neah looked at him strangely (i think it was the first time she's heard bells) and Adam started practically yelling about how ineffective and annoying bells are. And how Matt better take the bells off or they weren't hiking. Ok, truthfully I can't really remember what they said, but the point is that since loudly arguing is Adam and Matt's favorite sport, said bickering match ensued regarding the bells....and continued out the door with them as they left for the great wild yonder.

For anyone not from the north or the woods, the bells are "to alert the bears you are coming." Except they don't work: http://www.adn.com/2011/08/21/2024983/bear-runs-over-hiker-on-chugach.html. This is yesterday on the trail Adam and Neah hike often. It is about 10 minutes from our abode.

Then again, maybe the bells just get you run over and not eaten, in which case--jingle on Matt!! Personally, i think the snarling australian shepherd will be a bigger deterrent to the bears--she definitely makes more noise than bells, but who am i to deny safety precautions and prevent sharing the holiday spirit 4 months early.