Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Packing continues, and visiting, too.  Got a map of the some camping and hiking options for the Gallatin from Rich Soule while enjoying a lovely meal with Rich, Deb and Leah along with Katie and Mike.  Watched the US Open, which I rarely have the time to do.  Watched three teenagers splash in a parking lot lake during a rainstorm.  If I were really unplugged I would have joined them...but that would have been a little weird for them, I guess.  Had a super fabulous party hosted by Jo Holcomb where I talked to lots of friends.  Called the old man in Philadelphia for Father's Day but got his machine...have to connect with him today.  La, la, la...

I have had a couple conversations about bears, which is kind of funny and also not.  It is interesting the things we choose to worry about.  The odds of being mauled by a bear go up considerably when one chooses to hang out in their territory, but those odds are still ridiculously low given the cultural mythology around bears.  You should worry about your English teacher more than a bear.  Of course, if you go to bed with a fish treat in your pocket, the whole thing gets more complicated.  In any event, it's something that a person chooses to worry about not because it's likely, but because that's just how our brains work.  It even occurred to me that a handgun might not be a bad idea for protection.

There are a lot of thing we could worry about when we get up in the morning.  Crazy drivers, rabid dogs, nuclear winter, immigrants, sushi...lots of things make lots of folks uncomfortable and anxious.  There are ways to be prudent, but beyond that its a waste of energy.

So, bring on the bears...and if its just a black bear I'll try and get a picture of me standing on the mountain banging pots and acting crazy.

“With a hint of good judgment, to fear nothing, not failure or suffering or even death, indicates that you value life the most. You live to the extreme; you push limits; you spend your time building legacies. Those do not die.”
― Criss Jami, Venus in Arms