The Good, the Bad, and the Grizzly

For myself personally, the meeting of one's boyfriends parents can be a slightly terrifying experience.  For the most part I would categorize myself as a fairly normal person, but for that brief moment in time you start to realize all of your quirks and short comings.  You try and tell yourself to refrain from making slightly inappropriate comments, or drinking your wine too fast at the dinner table and that even though you are extemely nervous the worst possible thing you can do in that moment is excuse yourself to the bathroom to throw up (Matt...please do not share with your family how many times nerves has made me barf!)

But let me tell you, the one thing I did not expect to experience while spending a lovely weekend in Golden, BC with two very sweet, loving parents was the reckless abandonment for bear chasing!

Before visiting the beautiful town of Golden, B.C., I was not informed of the very important fact that certain wildlife like to roam the backyards of the homes.  Not that any real warning is necessary, however no one expects to be sitting enjoying their morning coffee and breakfast only to see a furry, stumpy and surprisingly fast creature roam through the backyard.  Even more surprisingly was that in this actual event in time I was the only one smart enough to remain in the house and observe through the window! I will be the first to admit that my outdoor skills are certainly not anything impressive, however this is what I do know:

When encountering a bear:

RULE 1: AVOID ENCOUNTERING A BEAR!!!!
RULE 2: NEVER APPROACH A BEAR TO GET A BETTER LOOK!!!
RULE 3: FIND SAFETY...AKA REMAIN INSIDE/SAFE AREA
RULE 4: DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN UNATTENDED....AKA MATT & AL
RULE 5: STAY CALM AND DO NOT CHASE

I am so thankful to have been welcomed into a home....but I am not sure I will  be participating in any bear chasing anytime soon!  For everyone's safety, perhaps we should blow up these rules and place them on the back door, so in the event that anyone has that sudden urge to put their life in front of an unpredictable animal they can all be reminded of just how silly of a choice that really is! 

To a wonderful weekend, to wonderful people, to making memories....these are the simple joys life is made of.

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