From City to Mountains; Answering the CallYou may be wondering how I got the title of the blog. Or maybe not, but I’ll tell ya anyways.
I know from lots of experience that there are easy ways to do things and hard ways to do the same thing. I will always do things the hard way. I don’t plan on doing anything the hard way but 98% of the time I end up doing just that.
I figure as I go through this journey I will do things that I’m not supposed to, not out of spite, just plain ignorance or silliness on my part, that’s the “erring” part of my “mountain-erring” title. That’s one reason that I watch the videos where the animals are doing things that I really don’t want to be a part of such as being eaten, gored, rammed and the like. I have to research what I’m getting myself into right?!?!
On Facebook and Instagram I follow the Division of Wildlife, Out There Colorado, and other places where I can do the “research” I need to do. So, I know not to leave toothpaste in my car especially if it’s not locked. I know that I’m supposed to have a bear proof trash can and keep my grill clean. I know that it’s illegal to put salt licks or other bait out to try to bring the wildlife closer to me. I know that I can’t leave a hammock up if I’m not around so I can prevent antlers and stuff from getting caught in it. I know that I am not supposed to have humming bird feeders up while the bears are either eating a lot because they just came out of hibernation or going back into hibernation. I know that you run from a moose and put something big in between you because it can’t make tight turns. I know that mountain lions are out at dusk and dawn and I’m supposed to be big and loud to scare one away. I know that you back up calmly (really?!?!) from a bear you happen upon on the trail.
So, long story short, if I do something that I’m not supposed to, please be kind. Mean comments or nasty “you shoulda, coulda” statements will more than likely make me cry. I’m more than willing to learn from my mistakes but I’d like to be told in loving tones that what I did wasn’t the best way to do it. This whole adventure is a giant learning experience for me. I’ll keep “researching” and I will listen to advice.
The last thing I want to do is to hurt an animal, short term or long term. I don’t have a problem hurting bugs, but I don’t want to hurt any animal….. One of the main reasons I want to live in the mountains is to see the wildlife. My family thinks that I will probably die while petting or getting too close to an animal or giving an animal WAY too much leeway and figure that it doesn’t really want to hurt me and that it will just let me be. The worrywart person that I am is afraid that I will do just that, get too close. However, I have told my family that if I am ever eaten by an animal I don’t want the DOW to euthanize it as it was more than likely my own fault. Their inheritance hinges on that as I’ve put that stipulation in my will…….(not really, just don’t tell them!)