| She talked about it; she dreamed about it, | | | | crossing the path about 50 yards in front of |
| she never let it go. This was how a friend | | | | us. My good friend screamed, grabbed a hold |
| of mine regarded her fear of coming across a | | | | of me and started to shake. I joined in with |
| bear when we would go hiking in the | | | | the screaming part because the first thing |
| wilderness areas of Idaho. Her character is | | | | you do when you come across a bear is make a |
| strong in all other ways. She is kind, hard | | | | lot of noise to scare it off. So I figured, |
| working, intelligent, prosperous and loving. | | | | what the heck, I might as well scream too to |
| But when the word "bear" crosses those ears | | | | make her feel better. |
| of hers, she turns to Jell-O. In other | | | | |
| words, her life is somewhat Un-Bear-Able! | | | | Well, the bear scurried off, my friend almost |
| | | | fainted and I laughed till I cried. I gave |
| We were hiking last spring in the Coeur | | | | her a few minutes for her heart to slow down |
| d'Alene mountains going for a 10 mile | | | | from it's 160 beats a minute and then I |
| excursion to visit one of the beautiful | | | | calmly and gently said to her, "You see, |
| alpine lakes that are plentiful through out | | | | bears are not going to hurt you". She calmly |
| this part of Idaho. We packed a lunch, threw | | | | said to me, "We got lucky this time buster". |
| on our backpacks and set off for a glorious | | | | Well, needless to say, this experience did |
| day of exercise and becoming one with nature. | | | | not help her fear of bears but only increased |
| My friend, however, was nervous and carried | | | | the intensity of her phobia. |
| a canister of bear spray (kind of like pepper | | | | |
| spray only for bears) with her just in case. | | | | We still go on hikes together and now my |
| I assured her that bears were harmless in | | | | friend is more at peace in the wilderness |
| this area. Only black bears roamed the woods | | | | like never before. No, she did not get over |
| here...no grizzlies I told her. Yet she was | | | | her extreme terror of bears. No, her dreams |
| set out to believe that a bear was a bear and | | | | have not stopped. No, she has not made peace |
| in her mind, they were all very very bad. | | | | with this precious animal. When we returned |
| | | | to our city dwellings after that last hike, |
| After about an hour of vigorous hiking we sat | | | | my dear loveable sweet caring friend |
| down for a minute to take a drink of our | | | | immediately called up a shooting gallery, |
| water and take in the natural beauty that | | | | enrolled in a class to learn how to shoot a |
| surrounded us. SNAP! went a tree branch just | | | | gun, and now carries a pistol on her side |
| up the trail and there it was...everything | | | | whenever we roam the hills and valleys of |
| she ever imagined in her worst nightmares was | | | | bear country (just in case, she says). My |
| in front of her. It was, you guessed it, a | | | | friend feels less nervous and seems to enjoy |
| big black 10 foot growling snarling bear! | | | | our hikes like never before. Me, I feel |
| Actually, that is how she remembers it. It | | | | sorry for the poor bear. |
| was actually a small female black bear just | | | | |