One of MANY Reasons Why I Don't Like Bears!!!

My parents emailed this story to me today and I was SOOO AMAZED that I'd HAD to share. This happened to the brother-in-law of a guy that my Dad works with.... I have to warn you that the pics aren't for the faint of heart ESPECIALLY if you haven't been around hunting much. I posted the ones that best tell the story in a PG sort of way.

This is the exact email that my dad received and forwarded to me:

Many of you know that my brother-in-law(Bridgett's husband), Ron, was attacked by a grizzly bear last weekend in Wyoming, while bow hunting elk with his dad.

Ron amazingly came through with non life threatening injuries.

Ron, who is an experienced hunter and used to be a guide, was calling an elk for his dad, who was down hill 40 yards. The elk suddenly spooked and then Ron heard a noise behind him. He turned around and a grizzly was 15 feet behind him. He tried to shoo it away but it proceeded toward him. He went behind a tree and the bear kept coming, so he took off on his "death run" down hill towards his dad. With the grizzly just feet behind his son, and running full speed, Ron's dad shot one arrow. Ron saw the arrow fly by his leg, unsure of whether it hit the bear, and within a few more steps, Ron was on his back with the grizzly on top of him. With is arms shielding his head, Ron kicked and punched the bear with all he had. Ron said it all went too fast and he was so full of adrenaline, he could not feel any pain at the time of the attack. When the bear continued to attack, Ron's dad, could see that the bear was bleeding badly from the arrow, and he went over and started beating on the bear with his bow(You can not carry guns during bow hunting, so he had nothing to shoot it). The bear continued to attack Ron, biting clear through his left hand and glove, and down to the bone of his right arm just below the elbow. Then the bear, stopped, looking at Ron's dad, walked away several yards, and rolled over dead.

The bear was autopsied and showed that it was well over 500 lbs(the grizzlies in that area average 350lbs) and 11 years old(which is in it's prime). Following the path of the arrow, the autopsy showed that the arrow went in, hit a main artery, then bent, and hit the heart!

A one in a thousand shot they said.

Another important fact to mention and that gave me chills is that Ron's dad had had surgery on his arm, because he had injured his arm and was not even able to pull the bow last season. This was to be his big hunt, and before the day of the attack, he had already missed two elk that were standing still. The morning of the attack, Ron's dad (also named Ron), prayed "God please guide my arrow today".

Little did Ron Sr. and Ron know how God would guide his arrow that day!

These are the pictures of the bear and the area that everything took place in. Please enjoy at my expense. Ha ha.

Ron

Pretty AMAZING, Huh?! I personally don't think that I'd be sticking around to take pictures after an ordeal like that... But that's just me! :D If you'd like to see ALL 34 pictures, I'd be happy to forward it on to you... IT REALLY IS AMAZING! That guys Guardian Angel deserves a RAISE!!!

p.s. I'm sorry if I grossed you out- But I DID warn you!!!!!!!

There's a SKUNK in Our Yard!!!!

In an effort to help Mason ACTUALLY LIKE his Halloween costume, we forced him into it then took him outside where he wouldn't think about it so much. Getting it on him was all but tramatic - He didn't like all fur. But, once we were outside playing, he realized how warm it kept him. He forgot all about it! It was a pretty funny site seeing this giant skunk running around our backyard! What a memory! Hopefully on ACTUAL Halloween night it won't be so tramatic!! :D

Quirks...We've All Got 'EM!

I was tagged by my cousin, Kami to blog about 6 of my quirks. I've seen this on other blogs as well and... I must say- I'm quite comforted that we ALL have a little OCD to a degree! It's interesting to get to know these things about everyone! At first, I thought I was pretty boring and didn't have ANY... Then I asked Ben if he could think of any for me! Kinda sorry I asked... He was able to rattle off three or four off the top of his head. And here I am laying awake at night for a week straight and couldn't think of ANY... But I have to agree with him- I TOO HAVE MY QUIRKS! :D

1. When folding clothes, I "WHIP" each piece of clothing into submission first. Then proceed to MILITARY fold them VERY TIGHTLY... I guess my logic in this is to incorporate ironing into the process without plugging anything in! Just killing two birds with one stone!!!

2. I might have mentioned this one before, but I've only met ONE other person with this same quirk... I HATE COTTON BALLS!!! Holding a cotton ball is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me! I'm getting goosebumps and shivering just thinking about it. It makes a high pitched sound when you squeeze it that kringes me to the bone! I can't explain it any better than that! My brothers like to torture me with this one!

3. Bare counter tops are a MUST in MY KITCHEN! NO small appliances.... No loaves of bread... NO cookie jars are left out for long periods of time--- Only the BARE MINIMUM- The only permanent residents on my counters are: A very tasteful spice rack, A wood block of knives, a paper towel stand, a small plant (that I've sworn I've killed at least 20 times... It keeps kicking! And come to think of it- It's the ONLY plant in my whole house...) and an occasional basket of fruit ( so I'll actually eat it!) I'm STILL training Ben to about this pet peeve of mine! FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING!!

4. I make Ben sleep on the TOP of the top sheet while I remain comfy underneath it......Totally kidding! Just trying to see if your paying attention! HA! HA! Although I did enforce this rule STRONGLY when I had to share a bed with a gal-pal in my single days... I called it the TOP SHEET/BOTTOM SHEET Rule! I didn't want to accidentally feel my friends leg in the middle of the night!!! YUCK!

5. When I rearrange my furniture, I GO TO TOWN with the vacuum to try to remove the old indentation marks left in the carpet . Even to the point to where I'm down on my hands and knees, raking it out with my fingers to get the carpet to pop back up.

6. I don't really like the phone! I can't explain it- I'm just not a big "phone person". I SUCK at calling people back. I guess I feel like whatever I'm calling about is going to interrupt what they're doing in their house. Or I'm avoiding being asked to do something... I can't really explain this one either. I, however, LOVE email or texting! Maybe it's because I have time to think about what I'm going to say.Or that its short and sweet and to the point! Please tell me I'm not the only one out there....! And don't take it personal if I don't call you back- Its just in my head! I must admit though, that I've gotten a WHOLE lot better at MAKING myself call people back! :D

7. I don't like seafood of ANY KIND! It ALL has a FISHY Smell to it. You CAN NOT convince me of it otherwise! When I look at shrimp.... All I see is it's little head and that DARK streak down it back that is it's INTESTINAL TRACK filled with POOP!!! And don't get me started on lobster- No thanks to anything that I have to break it arms to get to the meat. GIMME a Bacon Cheeseburger ANY DAY! I actually told a someone that I was allergic once... just as a way to politely decline some clam chowder that they made from scratch! But then they asked what happens to me if I eat seafood???... I didn't have an answer and made a ROYAL JERK of myself! Lessoned learned!!!

There you have it! Proof that I am a FREAK! I in return tag Jill, Molly, Stephanie, Kaylynn, Karalene, and Andrea! Let's keep this QUIRKY FREAKINESS GOING!!!!!

Happy Birthday DADDY!!

When I was little, I thought you were the greatest dad in the world...Now that I'm grown up, I see you as more than just a Father, I see the friend who was ALWAYS there....

...And I still think you're the GREATEST Dad in the world!!!

Happy Birthday to the BESTEST DAD and PA-PA in the WHOLE WORLD!!!

Just in Case You Were Wondering....

YES! ....It REALLY hurts if you suck your big toe up in a Vacuum!!!!!

Halloween Is Gonna Stink This Year!

I got this email from a friend of mine... It made me laugh!
Sad but TRUE!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the American Cancer Society:

Every 2 minutes, there is a new breast cancer diagnosis.

85% of all diagnoses have no family history.

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40 and 55.

I don't share these statistics to be a total downer. Most of you know me as always trying to look at the positive side of things! But this is the reality I face at work EVERY DAY! Now normally, I don't talk much about my work because it usually makes people nervous and immature... But this is worth it!
I recently met a woman who needed some post wire films- just before she went to surgery to have part of her breast removed with a cancerous lesion. She was very sweet and ready to start the fight of her life. But I could tell she was scared too. So as usual for me, I tried to help her cope the only way I know how- LAUGHTER! I joked with her that this would be the easiest mammogram of her life being that her breast is mostly numb! She smiled and started to relax a little. We joked and laughed a little more as I was pulling up her old films. I couldn't help but notice that my initials were on her screening mammo films!
After we got her pictures done, I got her back in her wheelchair and tried to make her as comfortable as I could. Both of us knowing that the hardest was yet to come for her. As I wrapped a blanket around her, I half joked that I felt I had to apologize to her. She of course looked up at me perplexed. I explained that I was the one who got her into this mess by doing her initial Mammogram that found the lesion. She smiled as it jogged her memory and grabbed my hand and pulled me down for one of the biggest hugs ever!! She let go and replied. "HONEY, You can save my life ANY DAY!"
Tears welled up in my eyes even more when I took her back to her waiting husband and she said to him, "This is the gal that did my mammogram! The one that they found it on!" The husband walked over to me, shook my hand and gave me a heartfelt, "Thank you, Ma'am!"

Now all except for the "Ma'am" part, it was an awesome full circle moment for me on why I do what I do! Believe me it's not for the PRESTIGE!!! :D Most of us have been affected by Breast Cancer in one form or another and DANG IT ladies, we have the power to fight it! There are soo few things out there that we can be proactive on- why not your HEALTH. So I empower all you out there to get checked! DO YOUR MONTHLY BREAST EXAM!!!! AND GET CHECKED BY YOUR PHYSICIAN!!! And if you're of age, GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM!!!! With these three SIMPLE things, we can find it at the earliest, most curable stage! And we can start focusing on how 7 out of 8 women WON'T be diagnosed with Breast Cancer!....The breast you save - might be your own!(Sorry- I couldn't help myself! :D)

Now repeat with me....... I AM THE CURE!!!!! I AM THE CURE!!!!! I AM THE CURE!!!!!