Exit, pursued by a bear

The bear spray was just one piece of the complicated puzzle to wild camp this evening. In order to be bear-safe and have as few food odours around me as possible I'd swapped to cook a hot meal at lunch, clean everything and my hands thoroughly, then cycle the remaining miles, find a campspot, cycle at least 100m away, eat a takeaway sandwich, clean myself thoroughly including brushing teeth (toothpaste can attract bears) extract tents, sleeping stuff, bear spray and knife from bags before hanging the bags in a suitable tree 4m off the ground, return to campsite, sleep without being eaten.
Faffarama eh?

At lunch I dutifully put the plan into action and cooked up in a cute little playground by the river.

The water looked amazing. The sun was beating down. I couldn't resist. I had to swim. There was a lady in the park with what looked like her grandson and I thought it wise to at least check if she knew of any reason I shouldn't swim.

Wendy laughed when I queried the presence of alligators or water snakes, and we had a pleasant conversation as she watched over her grandson, Sawyer. They were passing time as her next grandkid was just entering the world in the local hospital.

It seemed we strayed onto a sensitive topic though when Covid and governments' responses were broached. I don't think she was a big fan of the incumbents.

Giving me a knowing look, Wendy explained at length how she was convinced the hundreds of fires in Alberta were Justin Trudeau's doing.

When she continued the second saga of her monologue with "As a Christian..." I gave her my 'Oo that's nice' look and wondered what hell was coming next.

'Revelations' - quelle surprise. Always a safe go-to book to prove your point I find.

As she quoted several passages about the upcoming end of the world precipitated by a new global order I moved my hands to surreptitiously cover the big cockman on my Mengo sleeveless top. No point in asking for Act II of this tragi-conedy.

Lovely dip thoughRead more