There have been some really excited animal encounters in my recent travels. In Connecticut, I was attacked!…by a turkey. So I live to tell the tale. I walked in on a mother turkey, with her baby, and she chased me like a bat out of hell down the trail. All the while squawking and nipping at me. I started running pretty full on for a minute or so, and figured I would have lost her. Then turned around to see her still coming after me. I must have really offended her. Really, it was quite comical.
Then there was my coolest bear encounter ever! In Massachusetts, near the lovely town of Dalton, I was walking through some sticky mud. While watching the ground for good footing, I splashed my foot into the shallow part of a puddle. My splash was immediately followed by another just up the trail. So I looked up, the bear just feet in front of me looked up, and we both stared like deer in the headlights into each others eyes. Then we both jumped back, made an interesting sort of yell, and ran away from each other. It was really neat. I guess even bears forget to look up sometimes in difficult terrain. I told the bear that I was sorry, and “It’s ok, I’m scared of you too.” I think it was an adolescent, judging by its size and confusion around people.
Right after crossing into Vermont, Stephen and I woke up to a very large bull moose near our camp. Moose actually scare me the most of all the creatures I encounter. But he didn’t give us any trouble. Still, it always shocks me how tremendous those animals are!
Last, but not least, I saw a porcupine today. Stephen and Tide see them all the time, and until today I hadn’t seen one and was really wishing to. There so slow and stumbly. I could watch them waddle around all day. Cute!
So now my wildlife diary feels complete!