Mouse's Nest: Close Encounters of the Alaskan Kind

Quotes

We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are. ~ Anais Nin

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be. ~C.S. Lewis

The soul would have no rainbow, if the eyes had no tears.

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia . ~E.L. Doctorow

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

The follies which a man regrets most, in his life, are those which he didn't commit when he had the opportunity. ~Helen Rowland

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. ~Krishnamurti

We rarely think people have good sense unless they agree with us. ~La Rochefoucauld

If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead. ~Johnny Carson

When I speak of home, I speak of the place where -- in default of a better -- those I love are gathered together; and if that place were a gypsy's tent, or a barn, I should call it by the same good name notwithstanding. ~Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

Absolutes are never true.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Close Encounters of the Alaskan Kind

We went to a birthday party last Friday at Sara's house, the one with the bear poop. We had a lovely time. We bowled and ate pizza. We went back to the house, opened presents and had cake and ice cream. The kids went outside and played noisy games with balloons. Much running and screaming abounded. Then, to top it all off - because Sara is the hostess with the mostess, we had our own wildlife show.

Yup, that's Smokey wandering through the neighborhood.

(Happily he wasn't interested in our yard.) Apparently he was being tracked though as he had a lovely collar on.

It also made me chuckle to see all the adults (the children were shewed inside - we do have some sense) standing outside, chatting and watching the bear.

He took off when some trucks drove down the street.

All in all, a wee bit surreal.

I've seen bears in Alaska before but I was generally near a salmon spawning stream or hiking somewhere; this is the first time one came to greet me at (almost) my door.

PS - Sorry about the poor picture quality; it was after 9pm and the sun was only offering low lighting. And the bear wasn't close enough for my flash to work.

6 comments:

mia said...: What were you outside running away from the bear and this is why the pictures are so blurry?? :)
I love the picture of the cyclops bear! I guess Juneau is the only one in the world with one of these...you should sell your picture to The Sun...lol.; July 27, 2008 at 11:17 PM
M said...: Lol - Actually, it's because I was running after the bear! I know. Tourists with no brains. What can I say? I yam what I yam.

Yeah, I don't know what happened for the cyclops bear. I just know he had funky jewelry and I'm blaming it on that - not my poor skills!; July 28, 2008 at 8:58 AM
Shelby said...: WOW!!! Too close for my liking!! Have safe travel coming home! Hopefully you won't get peed on again:) We'll see you soon...back down south in the good ol' CG!; July 28, 2008 at 7:00 PM
M said...: I'm actually planning to put a pull-up on the dear girl (oh, the humiliation) to avoid any such circumstances.

I know, no sense of adventure!; July 28, 2008 at 7:13 PM
Lena's Mom said...: Only Maraiya would be chasing a bear for the ultimate picture. You are crazy girl.; July 29, 2008 at 8:13 AM
M said...: Chuckle, chuckle. Why thank you Miss Laura. I've always said that genius and insanity are pretty much the same thing so....; July 29, 2008 at 11:58 AM