Today you experienced two ‘firsts’: your first near run-in with a bear, and your first gondola ride. The first was scary enough to drive me to tears, while the latter was perfect. We walked downtown to grab some breakfast, and our walk home we were cutting through the woods and entering a developed area when someone in one of the houses informed us that there was a bear on the other side of the house! I wasn’t sure what to do, and wanted to turn around, but if we wanted to get home we really need to keep going forward. Your dad reassured me that we would be ok, and we kept walking but headed in the opposite direction of where the man indicated the bear was. We made it home without even sighting the bear, but I was certainly on edge.

This afternoon we took the gondola up to the ski area to meet up with Lia and her husband. I haven’t been to the ski area in the summer since I was a little girl; your papa and nana used to take me there to ride on the alpine slide. Well the area sure has changed and been developed; now there’s putt putt golf, biking, horseback riding, and other activities in addition to the slide. You appeared to be taking in the views from the gondola, busy looking around as we passed through the trees. I was so looking forward to taking you on your first gondola ride, and it’s neat to think that this if the first of many fun adventures we’ll have on the mountains together, in both summer- and winter-time. You seem so at ease and right at home outdoors. We’re so glad, because we plan to spend a lot of our time with you outside.

Your First Gondola Ride

Playing around at the base of Peak 8