Page 8 of Protecting Vidalia
Vidalia nodded and took the other chair while he poured her a cup of the hot steaming brew. It smelled heavenly and the cup warmed her hands.
“Cream and sugar?”
She nodded again, and he poured a bit of the creamer she’d brought and took a sugar cube out of the box.
“One or two lumps?”
“One,” she replied.
“She speaks!” He exclaimed, his eyes twinkling at her. “I was beginning to think you were just going to point and nod.”
Vidalia couldn't help but chuckle, he was infectious. “It seems you're in a chipper mood this morning. Are you this way every morning?”
“Only when I'm with a beautiful woman,” he replied.
Vidalia felt a flush creep up her throat. She didn’t feel beautiful at all, she’d just got out of bed. What she felt like was a dragged-out hag, but it was sweet of him to say so.
They chatted amiably, Jake carefully avoiding the land mine of her job. One never realizes how much their job is a part of their life until they try to avoid talking about it, but he managed.
“Would you like a granola bar,” Vidalia finally asked, her stomach beginning to growl. “Or some strawberries? I brought up some fresh ones yesterday.” She stood up to go get the proffered goodies.
Jake stood up too. “What?No bacon and eggs? Or sausage and biscuits? What kind of a cook are you?” His eyebrows waggled in mock protest.
“The kind that doesn't have time to cook,” she responded dryly, “I'm always on call. Remember?”
“Yes, I know what you mean,” Jake said softly as he watched the smile fade from her face. They had stepped on the land mine. When she came back with breakfast, the conversation was somewhat stilted, and they both made a conscious effort not to go there. “So, what are your plans for today?” he finally asked.
Vi seemed to brighten at the question. “I’m planning on doing some hiking. My parents always wanted to buy a cabin but could never afford it,” she said wistfully. “This is a real treat for me.”
“Have you hiked a lot? I know that seems like a dumb question since you’re from Fort Collins,” he added. “But hiking in bear country can be different.”
Her eyes widened. “Have you seen a lot of bears up here?”
“A few,” he admitted. The population of black bears has grown a lot in the last 40 years. No grizzlies though, they are mostly up towards the Canadian and Alaskan borders. A few in Idaho maybe.”
“I’m aware of the campground rules in the Rocky Mountain National Park and other tent camping areas, but overall, there have been very few bear attacks. All the information I’ve read say they stay away from humans. Since this is a developed area here in Skokie Pass, and mostly cabins, I’d assumed I wouldn’t need any bells or sprays,” she added. “Besides, I haven’t always lived in Fort Collins. My parents moved there from Missouri three years ago. So, no, I’ve not been in this area all my life.”
Jake nodded. “Well, it is spring here. Most of the bear populations are about 7000 to 10,000 feet. We are about 4500 feet here, I checked when I bought my cabin,” he said. “Spring is when they start to come out of hibernation and are more active. Also, very hungry. And sometimes the females will have a cub they are extremely protective of.”
“Anything special I should be aware of?” Vidalia asked with a frown.
“Don’t put trash out at night,” he replied. “If you are going to put it outside, make sure you put it out in the morning, or take it to a dumping station as quickly as possible. Bears can smell food a mile away.”
Vidalia was looking extremely nervous. “What if I see one while I’m hiking? Am I supposed to lay flat on the ground and let it sniff me?”
Jake laughed. “No, that’s with a grizzly bear. With a black bear, don’t run or try to climb a tree. They are really good climbers, and they can run at 35 miles per hour, so you’ll never outrun them. Just stand still and hold your arms out, or above your head. Whatever you can do to appear larger. If they stand on their hind legs, they are trying to see you better, so don’t be tempted to run. They are very curious at times, but really do shy away from people. The chance of you encountering one is slim to none, but if you do, and it’s aggressive, then fight. If you have bear spray, spray the eyes and then run. They’ll most likely take off in the opposite direction.”
“What are the chances of surviving an attack?” Vidalia asked, her eyes wide.
“Really good, actually. They don’t like loud noise, like bells or whistles. You can throw your backpack at them, which is a good reason to wear one. They are curious, and if they smell food in it, they will turn their attention to the pack while you leave the area,” he said. “If you have a hiking stick, use that if they are attacking you, and yell like a crazy woman.”
Vidalia glanced uneasily at the forest surrounding them and Jake took pity on her. “Don’t worry, you are very unlikely to run into one. I just wanted you to be aware and know what to do if you did. Do you have any bear spray?”
“No. It never occurred to me that I would need it.”
“Just make noise as you hike then,” he replied. “They shy away from humans, and if they know you’re coming, you’ll never see them.”
She looked relieved then. “We always make noise when hiking in Missouri too,” she said. “More because of snakes though. You don’t want to come up on any rattlesnakes unannounced. Plus, there can be bobcats around, although I don’t know anyone who has ever seen one. But they say they are there.”
