Last week, we introduced our first photo/essay contest asking for your best Indiana Jones moment, and we were delighted with the variety of results. Adventure comes in many shapes and sizes, and we'll be demonstrating that range all this week. Our first winning photo entry comes from Jake Krong of Maryland, who is the proud new owner of the Indiana Jones DVD box set. Congrats to Jake!
The "Major," an 80-year-old man with the energy and vigor of four twentysomethings combined, warned us that there were black bears on his property. We had been doing field research in the Adirondack Park forests for several weeks and had yet to encounter anything more dangerous than Sorex cinereus.
On the second or third day of gastropod collection, shrew trapping (catch and release, of course), and tree identification, we came across something you don't expect to see in the woods: a pile of bread, donuts, and bagels. And then, just a few strides away, was someone you would expect to see next to such a smorgasboard: a black bear, just staring me down! My heart rate took off exponentially, but it was quickly apparent that "Baldy" (we learned afterwards that was his name) was on a high-carb diet. I observed Baldy for a while, and snapped this picture.
Later on, Major informed us not to worry about the bears. "They listen to me," he said.
It was easy to see why!
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