by JRR

Created on: November 12, 2007

Being born only a year apart Mike and Linda did everything together. They played and grew up together in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

When they were older they would go camping on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. One of their favorite campgrounds was Lewis Mountain.

One year, after they were both grown and married, Linda, her husband Dickie (a Baptist Minister), Mike and his wife Jenny went to Lewis Mountain camping for the weekend.

They had their tent set up next to the woods and were all sitting out in front of it around the campfire roasting hot dogs and talking about what they had seen that day. They had seen plenty of deer and any number of smaller animals. The one thing they hadn't seen though was the one thing they wanted to see the most, a bear.

Mike and Dickie had talked to a ranger earlier and had been told there was one in the area but they hadn't seen it.

Jenny and Linda decided to go to bed while Mike and Dickie waited to put the fire out. While they were sitting there a ranger came by.

"Just going around reminding everyone to lock their food up," the ranger said. "There have been several bear sightings in the campground."

"Thank you," Dickie said. "We have everything locked up anyway."

"Well you all have a good night," the ranger said as he was walking away.

"You too," Mike and Dickie answered together.

They put out the fire and went in the tent. It had been a long day so it didn't take them long to fall asleep.

They hadn't been sleeping long when Jenny poked Mike in the side saying, "What's that?"

Mike sat up and listened. "I don't know let me go look," he answered.

He unzipped the door of the tent looking out. He turned to Jenny smiling and said, "Oh nothing much just a bear."

Before Jenny had time to say anything they heard scratching on the tent. Jenny screamed and Mike laughed waking the other two.

"What's going on?" Linda asked.

"There's a bear scratching the tent and scared her," Mike laughed.

Mike yelled and smacked the tent where the bear was scratching. They heard him crashing through the woods as he left.

They were just settling back down when they heard the bear coming back.

"Shh," Mike whispered, "I have and idea."

No one said a word. They could hear the bear sniffing around the edge of the tent. Next thing they knew it was sticking its nose under the edge of the tent.

Without saying a word Mike picked up the sledge hammer they had driven the tent stakes in with, and hit the bear right on the nose.

The bear yelped in pain. All four sat there laughing as they listened to the bear crashing through the bushes down the mountain still yelping.

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