if a bear starts to eat you, gouge out it's eyes...your fighting for your life.

I'm going to say that I had a wilderness training course with Uncle Travis. My aunt Terra and him camp a lot, and camp in bear country.  They know what's up and when i emailed Terra to ask for her help they jumped to action and came through like champions to supply me with...most of my camping gear.

So yesterday, after we had a family BBQ at grandma's house it was time for the wilderness camping lesson.  Things I learned about camping from Uncle Travis.

1. do not, I repeat, DO NOT keep anything scented in the tent with you while you sleep. no food, deoderant, lotion, lip balm, toothpaste, NOTHING!!!! If it has a scent keep it away from you when you sleep.

2. keep the car 100 yards away from the tent, and the cooking area 100 yards away from the tent in the other direction, to form a triangle. 

3. as soon as I get into Canada buy Bear Spray. It can save my life.

And then we practiced I practiced setting up the tent.  Travis helped a little bit, and I think the first time I set that up by myself will be a humorous video.  

Thanks Travis and Terra! It's amazing to see how much family rallied around me.  It's good to feel loved.  Dad is going to lend me the rest of the supplies that I need. 

And, my Dad is a certified mechanic and he's been doing it for 20 years and when he saw Shadowfax, my first rental car (a sliver nissan) and saw that the tires were aslkjvosekjlks bald. He said I need to get a new car.  So yesterday I traded in Shadowfax and got Shadowfax Jr. a silver VW Jetta.  

It's been an exciting few days here in portland and every day is jammed packed with seeing the people i love in a city i love doing things i love.  New York feels like a dream...