A moose on the loose....

    I heard a frightening story a few days ago about a local woman hiking in the mountains with her dogs. They rounded a corner and surprised a moose with two calves. The moose charged, head-butted the hiker, knocked her to the ground and stomped her. Yikes! The woman is okay and the dogs are fine. There's no further update of the moose, but I'm sure she's forgotten all about it by now.

    Two years ago my husband and I tried to hike that exact same trail. It was early in the season, and the place was abandoned. My husband was excited because there wasn't another soul in sight. I was nervous for the exact same reason. There might not be any other people in the area, but I couldn't say the same about the wildlife. Especially the bears.

    I allowed my husband to talk me into a short hike. My unease escalated as we made our toward the trail head. I wondered out loud about bears wandering around with their cubs. The silence in the wilderness was deafening. Soon we came across a large sign at the base of the trail educating hikers about the slim possibility of coming across a bear, and what to do if that happened.

    Somewhat reassured, we continued toward the trail when we heard a loud crash. I froze like a deer in the headlights. My husband looked over my head toward the sound and whispered, "Holy (expletive)! It's a moose!" In all our years of hiking the Rocky Mountains, we have never seen a moose. Awestruck, we watched the huge animal as he ate a tree.

    It was one of those moments where you are completely one with nature. You feel honored, humbled and overwhelmed to be in the presence of such a creature. He was only about 25 feet away from us and my husband whispered again, "He doesn't even see us!" We stood in quiet reverence as the moose continued to eat, effortlessly snapping branches that were as large as a man's arm.

    Finally, he turned his head and looked at us. Excited, my husband whispered, "He sees us! He's checking us out now!" Uneasily, I asked, "Mike? Do moose charge?" Dead silence. Finally, he answered very slowly, "I....don't....know." That was good enough for me. We slowly stared walking backwards. Then we turned and ran like hell back to the car, realizing the folly of trying to out run a moose. I kept waiting to hear the pounding of hooves behind us, but apparently the tree was more interesting than two bumbling hikers on a trail. And to think I was afraid of bears.

    There are a few life's lessons in these two stories. First of all, life is full of surprises. It's also full of adventures. You never know who or what you're going to come across when you venture out into unknown territory. Sometimes you get knocked down and trampled on, but it's important to get back up again. Sometimes you need to go out on a limb, as long as no one is eating it and you can keep yourself safe. Also, what you are most afraid of might not be the actual threat. But, you'll never know unless you step out of your comfort zone.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

Leaving....on a jet plane.....

    I hate to fly. The entire process of going to the airport, going through security, getting on the train, waiting at the gate, and sitting immobilized in those ridiculous seats for hours on end makes me crazy. The overwhelming press of humanity unnerves me. Once you finally land, you get to anxiously wait for your bag to appear at baggage claim and hope that it didn't inadvertently land in another city. Then you get to repeat the sequence to return home, exhausted and jet lagged.

    I suppose wouldn't mind flying so much if I got to go somewhere fun, or have a relaxing vacation. I haven't had a vacation in over five years. I'm probably about due for one, or at least the chance to do something fun, spontaneous, and memorable. And then last weekend I did just that. After a hurried collaboration with my sister, I made the arrangements to surprise my niece for her eleventh birthday, even if it meant getting on a plane. I figured I could deal with it for the reward of seeing my niece and nephew, and the opportunity to surprise them. Who doesn't love surprises?

    I was excited to go, but dreaded the idea of flying. However, something funny happened on the way to the airport. I was in a good mood. The process of going through the airport wasn't as unnerving as it usually is for me. I even winked at the TSA agent before I could stop myself. Thank goodness there were no repercussions for that little indiscretion. The flight was on time, the seats weren't as uncomfortable as I remember, the bags were promptly at the carousel when I landed, and before I knew it I was sitting in my sister's car.

    I didn't get to see my niece until the next day after my sister picked her and my nephew up from summer camp. The reaction from both my niece and nephew was immensely gratifying; we all cried. I guess they love me and miss me as much as I love and miss them. Although if I had known in advance that my sister was going to record it and post it on Facebook, I probably would have fixed my hair and make up. Oh, well.

    The next day and a half was a whirlwind of fun and activities, including a big party, girl time, and serious shopping. I got to see another sister and two more nieces. I had so much fun I was still in a good mood when I went to the airport yesterday. Here I am, exhausted, jet lagged and deliriously happy. It appears that the kids weren't the only ones who got a surprise. I'm surprised that I just can't wait to go to the airport and get back on a plane again. I had forgotten how much fun flying could be. Isn't it funny how things change?

Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP