Traditionally Speaking…by Pat Larsen - Bears, Ticks and Trikes…Oh My!

As though the past winter was not enough of a trial on the human psyche, this long drawn out Spring season of maybe yes and maybe no days of sunshine… we’re now facing prolific numbers of bear sightings and many more ticks than usual.

I realized my mistake the instant I viewed a video on YouTube of an uninvited bear with her cubs who raided someone's home.

That viewing would then serve to indulge my anxieties by picking up every single black bear, grizzly, polar bear and their offspring, thinking I must be intrigued by them. 

Think again, A-I …these sightings were the makings of many a nightmare going forward for me for weeks.

We even had our own 400 lb. unwelcomed visitor one evening at 2 A.M., who decided to demolish our reinforced garbage bin that was secured to the concrete foundation until we interrupted him. After a stalemate, HE decided to move on but not before dragging one of the bags of “my “ garbage with him. The mess carried over to hours in the daylight of cleaning up after this trail checking behind us and in front the whole time…again with the worry that HE would return.

These kinds of encounters are what began the uneasiness that suggested …maybe I should just stay in the house and never go out again.  

THAT was very unlike me in the past and I wasn’t too happy about how I was reacting now at this age, either.

But my realistic side emerged just as the Spring sun beckoned and off I was down the logging trail with my pup, Lily, joyfully embracing the sights of a Spring day with not so much of a care in the world.

Until … the ticks emerged. 

Everyone surmised that because of our frigid winter this year that there would be “less” not more” ticks in the early part of the season.

BOY, were we all wrong…We now have tick spray at the ready at each exit of our home coupled with a loving reminder to be sure to use it.

Bears and Ticks…were really beginning to get on my nerves…and so I decided it might be better to consider outdoor activities to enjoy from a safer vantage point .

Researching led me to the latest Baby Boomer trend being offered to get us outside, so that we could remain active and to continue to strengthen and improve our muscle tone and functionality…and so…

I was intrigued by the advertisements for the “three wheeler” bikes called TRIKES…I found that some of these bikes were operated by a small electric motor that helped to propel the bikes movement, kind of on its own. These speciality bikes are called Treks.

Then there was the kind of three wheeler that I chose for a variety of reasons…including those best for “balance and stability” and cost effectiveness.

I will admit that it took him two days of painstaking assembly.

Not because of his ineptitude. The man's a brilliant mechanic. It was the zillions of parts, bolts, nuts, screws, wires, chains…etc etc. not to mention the instructions that were based on a complete and total Doctorate degree.

I left him to his work in the garage and only occasionally asked if he was getting any closer to the “big reveal”. His replies are not ones that I can publish here in the column…Suffice to say, I just left him to his work.

Finally, …there it was.

A three wheeled blue angel…So I hopped right on that seat and got the shock of my life…

I was unable to ride it. A three wheeler is NOT like riding a two wheeler.

NOPE. It’s kind of got a mind of its own.

I went back to the YouTube videos and found varying degrees of instructions suggesting that it be ridden and steered just like driving a car.

WELL, alrighty then, I can drive a car…so let’s give this another go ‘round.

NOPE, fell off that thing promptly every time. 

I was getting a bit pissed off now. But the final chapter of this story is simply this. We Baby Boomers are old dogs, true, but we can learn new things and even if it takes us a bit longer than it did a minute ago…before long we’d be navigating down that road, waving to neighbors and showing off that Trike…just like we did at 5 years old when we navigated our first three wheeler.

My advice is this…get one, pay to have it assembled and save your marriage, and trust that you WILL persevere. Keep imagining that a bear is chasing you down the road and running into the grass would not be the best option given the ticks that are everywhere.

That’ll get you going…as it did me. 

Pat Larsen is a syndicated columnist locally. Her passion is sharing stories relevant to those who still read newspapers, Baby Boomers.

Check out her 1st book, Reflections…anything but an ordinary life available on Amazon…Book 2…Bridges…connecting then to now is due out soon.

Read them both and give Pat a call…she loves to hear from her readership. 518-275-8686