Metro to Mountain

Mama Bear

For years I have been told that it is so dangerous to encounter a black bear and her cubs. I have in fact seen a few of the mama bears; but never in an incident where the mama bear felt threatened by my presence or at least that is what I thought.

In a recent study, I now find that mamas are not the biggest black bear dangers; instead it is a hungry bear looking for food. The lone male bear predator was the killer in 92 percent of black bear related deaths.

So, does that mean I do not worry about mama? If mama looks agressive, it is always time to give mama bear all the space she needs. The findings also gave even more support for keeping a clean campsite and to properly store food, cooking utensils, and odorous items in a bear container. We don't want bears messing around with our food and trying to crawl in our tents looking for a late night snack!

So, this is all good news to know as I am hiking in the Smokies tomorrow!

(Yahoo)

Rose's Graduation!

Today, we were in Knoxville for Rose's graduation from the University of Tennessee's Engineering School with a degree in Chemical Engineering!

We were all smiles as she crossed the stage. Her grandparents Diane, Jean, and Bill and her cousin Betsy joined us as we celebrated. It was a great day. Rose has done extremely well in school and in life.

Three cheers to Rose!

(Oh, Jake would have also gone to the ceremony, but they did not allow dogs. He gave her a big lick when she came home.)