July 27, 2007

ALONG MY TRAILS …

It’s stories like this one, about  a woman in her 30s found dead next to her bike in a BC ski resort, her body guarded by a small brown-nosed black bear, that remind us the wilderness is … wild. And respect is due. A necropsy found the bear to have human remains in his belly. In the same week, a Banff campground was also shut after a grizz attacked two cyclists.

Here in my own ski town, a brazen cougar who’d been chasing cyclists and following people around the golf course has been shot by our conservation officer, along with a couple of bears who had been breaking and entering homes. I have very mixed feelings about this. It’s their world as much as ours, and we’re punching more and more trails into the wilds. Still, those cats have me just a tad jumpier on the forest trails at the moment.

And thanks to Hornblower I’ve been nominated a Rockin’ blogger!! (she likes my photos of my mountain town)

Now I too get to nominate 5 ultra-worthy blogger chicks. So … without further ado:

Barbara Samuel’s a Writer Afoot. I adore her blog for so many reasons. And well, she rocks. She got Orange ;). And has me fired up to try my hand at orienteering.

Spyscribbler for daily insights that always seem pull me in. And she’s an espionage fan! Romance and espionage? Can’t get better than that! Rock on Spy.

Anna Louise Lucia. She does cool things, and writes about them beautifully. I love the occassional view into her world. Tell her to post more often!

Suzanne McMinn Cool daily photos of a farm-life to die for. She’s a rockin’ writer lady.

Kate Austin for her window into a Vancouver writer’s lifestyle and thoughts. Love her tone.

And I can’t nominate Toni because I see she’s already Rockin’. And I see she has me Rockin’ too …

Hornblower has a pretty awesome blog and life as well. Check her out.

1. On July 27th, 2007 at 11:08 am
   Toni Anderson Says:
   

   Ahem. I’m just planning my trip to Banff…

   All wonderful blogs. How cool are those bloggers!!

2. On July 27th, 2007 at 11:56 am
   Suzanne Says:
   

   Hey, thank you!! You ARE a rockin’ blogger!

3. On July 28th, 2007 at 9:02 am
   spyscribbler Says:
   

   Awww, thanks Loreth! I love your pictures and adventures!

   Except the bear thing scares me. I’d feel horribly guilty to kill a bear just ’cause I’m scared of getting eaten alive, but … it also scares me. What do you do? Do you take something with you, in case you run into a bear? Is there some way to avoid getting eaten? How are you so brave?!

4. On July 30th, 2007 at 8:46 am
   Loreth Says:
   

   I am so not brave, Spy. I think walking in a parking garage at night, or subway is waaay more risky ;). I carry bear bangers. And if I encounter one, I do all the things they say you should, back away slowly, talk, make yourself look big, dont run etc. I’ve only had one really uncomfortable encounter where the bear followed me for some time. Mostly the bears around here are fairly human habituated, and don’t see us as prey. The troubles come when a bike speeds around a corner and startles one etc. I worry more about the black bears further out in the backcountry — the ones who want to stalk and eat big mammals for sustenance.

   And of course the big cats can make me edgy. Still — running on these trails is safer than big city traffic and muggers in dark alleys, methinks

5. On August 5th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
   spyscribbler Says:
   

   I guess it’s a case of “better the devil you know,” LOL.

   The big cats? What big cats? I have four cats, and let me tell you, I would never want to meet a big cat in the wild.

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