I have been getting my walk or run in as the sky is lightening in the early morning.  Each day I have to start a little bit later.  I am usually out the door by 6:45 or so.  It adds to my day in so many ways and helps me start it in a fresh, cheerful and accomplished way.  It lets me connect to the neighbors on their way to work and the kids going to school.  Yesterday I startled a pair of deer in a field.

Sunday I heard that there was a bear sighting in a nearby neighborhood.  Monday morning I walked closer to the time of light and faster, looking over my shoulder but since then I have been carefree and didn’t even remember it.  Today as I started out, Arla pulled over after taking the older guys to the bus stop and told me that there was another sighting yesterday, of a 300 lb black bear at the end of our development.  It walked across Babcock and over to the farm on the corner.

Gulp.

I got into her car and just walked back and forth from the cup-de-sac to the top of the hill.

But it got me thinking.  Bears are pretty fat and lazy this time of year (or so Pa tells us in Little House when he harvests all the honey from the honey tree).  I could probably scare it by yelling, right?  Do you think it would eat Ollie?  Emmy?  She has more meat on her bones.  Maybe I can do some bear wrestling?

So, here’s the deal.  Mom?  Can you ask Uncle Terry or Jimmy for some tips.  I know its only a few short weeks until they will hibernate but I would love to keep walking and not having to worry about being eaten.  Let me know what you find out.  I’ll be looking online for other ideas!