So I was at 3 Vets last Saturday, and I wanted to get bear spray. I’ve been thinking about bears ever since Harris asked if I wanted to go on this trip.

I don’t have a phobia about bears. In fact, I had this amazing (to me) dream about bears a couple of months back right after we organized the tickets for this trip. I was in a forest, and friends of mine were on the other side of a clear, slim stream. The forest was cool and refreshing, since the high foliage blocked the light. I was the only person on this side of the stream. Then, a grizzly appeared, and I wanted to tell my friends to warn them, but realized that shouting this out might also alarm the bear. So, I said nothing, just watched Grizzly as it swaggered up to me. came up really close, put its paws on my shoulders like a big dog. Then, it opened its mouth and I got a really excellent view of its razor-sharp teeth. And I realized it was fully intending to bite me.

I wasn’t really afraid. I reached out and, using my hand as a muzzle, gently wrapped my palm and fingers around its snout and squished the bear down gently on the ground – the forest floor. Grizzly didn’t protest. It just laid down and kept its eyes on me.

And then, I was outside of a massive treehouse that was somehow also built on top of a giant fertile mound of black earth that smelled like growing vegetation. There was a circular path that wound down from the treehouse, all the way to where I was standing, somewhere in the middle. Other people were there, friends. And bears were too, several of them. I couldn’t keep track. They were very active, running around the mound on or near the path. I wasn’t afraid. I was just running with them.

So, this bear spray at 3 Vets. It comes in an aerosol can. I don’t even know how much it costs. I only know that because of this, I won’t be buying any since aerosol cans are now forbidden on planes. Unless there’s something available in Yellowknife, I’m going bear-spray-free.

Maybe I’ll get a wind chime?