New neighbor

[grampahol]

I lived in Darby way back when it was full of current and former loggers, a lot of drunk Indians and a handful of broke prospectors. The biggest day of the year BY FAR was Loggers Day when the town skank sat on top of a HUGE log on a big truck as is rolled through town waving at the crowds of tens of people. You could buy lunch for $3 and it could feed a family of 9 for a week. I kind of doubt it's anywhere near the same as it was in the 70s. You could back then buy 20 acres of Forest service land for $400...That same land today? probably in the millions.. Oh well..
I was in Job Corps at Trapper Creek at 17 and decided to run away one night. So I'm walking down old route 93 in the dark and hear the growl of a bear in the distance. Soon enough I hear loud crunching in the trees not far from where I was and just knew it was a bear. Before i knew it I was petrified and trying to take the tiniest, most quiet steps possible because i knew there was no way I was going to outrun that bear. I could have sworn that everyone in the entire state of Montana could hear my heart beating, but I kept walking and soon enough I see the light from a ranch in the distance and the crunching was getting louder and louder with every step. I knew I was about to die. There was just no way I could make it to that ranch in time. Finally, after what felt like 9 days of walking on pins I could see the clearing leading to the light and the ranch.. CRUNCH CRUNCH and I look everywhere just waiting to die, but it was a cow..MOOOO! A few minutes later a cop came by and gave me an ultimatum.. Go back to the Job Corps center or go to jail because I was under age.. Back to the Job Corps and my nice, soft bed never to try that again.. The end.. You might not believe it, but I have seen BIG grizzly's go by our window at night, some bigger than a pickup and they can make even the toughest city boy crap his pants in fear..