Close Encounters of the Black Bear Kind

Earlier today Thomas, Olivia, and I were sitting in the driveway of our piano teacher waiting for Claire and Benjamin to finish their lessons. I was chatting away on my phone, completely oblivious to my surroundings. Thomas was hiding in the far back of the car (planning to jump out and scare Claire and Benjamin when they came out). Olivia quietly said "bear". I tuned her out. Thomas heard her, popped his head up to look and said, "Oh my gosh! It's a bear!" I jerked my head around and there was a large, black bear staring right at us. Right there on the piano teacher's lawn! I said, "Holy Crap!" and hung up on the person I was talking to.

Thomas dove into the middle seats and started rolling up Olivia's window while I started rolling up the front windows, paused partway through to take a picture with my phone but my battery was too low, finished rolling up my window and called 9-1-1. The bear then lunged onto the hood of our car...just kidding. Actually, we stared at each other for awhile and then it turned and ran away. It was obviously reading my mind and saw the plan I was formulating for its demise--I was planning to gun the car, while honking the horn, and run over it repeatedly. It was the fact that I felt like my children were threatened that made the destruction of a giant bear seem necessary and probable (my bravery was also probably partly fueled by the fact that I was driving a Suburban). Although, there was another part of me that was fascinated with its beauty and sweet face (I think I thought this once it started running away)--and how nice the millennium will be when the lamb and the lion will lay together and we won't have to fear bears anymore.

Anyway, that is my story. It was exciting. The rush of adrenalin has kept me feeling very alive all day. Thomas and I can't stop talking about it. Neither can Olivia. She was shaken up! She told me, "I saw a bear, and Daddy wasn't there to 'tect me." So sweet. She was telling J.J. about it tonight and she said, "I saw a bear and 'den Thomas saved me. He closed my windows and 'den I was saved and 'den Mommy said 'omigosh'".



P.S. I didn't take the above picture. As I mentioned, my phone battery was too low. I found this one on the web.