Bear Jam
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| Bear Jam |
Here are a few more slides from my great uncle's box full of them taken back in July of 1966 according to the stamp on the slide. The box itself was only labeled #3 but the writing on the various slides indicate that these were all taken from within Yellowstone Park. The one above though only said Bear Jam. How times have changed. I went there back in the late 80's, 20 years after my great uncle's trip, and whenever a bear was nearby, park officers would stand guard and make sure nobody got out of their vehicle or heaven forbid, got as close as the lady in the red flannel jacket did to take a picture. But traffic jams on the road due to bear sightings were still a thing even in the late 80's and I would guess even now.
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| Bear & 2 Cubs |
This one scares the bejesus out of me and I'm sure the person in the station wagon the mama bear is leaning against as well.
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| Bear In Trashcan |
This one looks more like a juvenile bear.
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| Parents at West Thumb Geyser Basin |
Finally, my great grandparents in the glory days of their retirement years. I've written about it before in the past, but my earliest memories of my great grandfather are all after he had his stroke though I have pictures of us before then. If they ever figure out how to go back in time, I would love to talk to this man whom I mainly know from pictures and from the handful of memories I have of him after his stroke when he was unable to communicate with me.
Too many bears for me! I'm terrified of them, cute as they are from far away. I too would love to talk with my Nana who died when I was 5. I don't remember her or what she was like.
ReplyDeleteI can't even make an excuse other than ignorance when it comes to my great uncle, son of the parents above who took these slides. I knew him until I was nearly 40 and never asked him all the questions I would pay dearly to ask him now.
DeleteHow interesting to look back into their past. I can't image having a bear's head within my car (but I have had one with its head in my bivy tent).
ReplyDeleteI smacked one with an oar once as it tried to steal our peanut butter. But it was a small black bear and not a grizzly.
DeleteGreat old slides! Yes the questions we should have asked but never did. I think that is in part why I blog and why I am so interested in diaries that my husbands parents kept.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven't read them for privacy, I have the journals of my father and his father. I consider them one of my most valued treasures.
DeleteI remember reading that years ago, a real tourist attraction for Yellowstone was going to watch the bears feed when the camp garbage was dumped. This would have been in the 50s, I suppose. That changed when it was realized that bears were getting used to being around people and that this can cause problems. I am going to imagine that this is what your pictures show. Bears are dangerous when they have lost their fear of humans. So this practice was discontinued at some point.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading a National Geographic story about Yellowstone. This would have been mid-seventies, and they talked about how foolish people were. One ranger recounted a story about how a parent smeared jelly on his child's face and set him out there to get a picture of a bear "giving him kisses' as the jelly was licked away. The ranger was astonished at how stupid people can be.
I wonder what he'd make of the crazy people who can't keep away from the bison?
In the 80's, seeing a large grizzle up close but still in the safety of a glass and steel car gave me goosebumps, I can't imagine what I would feel if I had jelly smeared on me by a parent and put outside. My guess, is my lack of feeling would require a change of clothes if I survived!
DeleteI only had my grandfather on my father's side. He was called Ojiisan and was a Japanese speaking Episcopalian minister. He would always tickle me - and I was super ticklish. Never saw a bear and I think I am fine for the lack of it.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate in that I got to know all my grandparents well and even have memories of many of my great grandparents.
DeleteYikes! Those bears! People didn't (and still don't) realize how dangerous wild animals can be. How great that you have that photo of your great-grandparents. I remember my mom's maternal grandmother, but I'm not sure I even met any of my other great-grandparents.
ReplyDeleteMost of my memories are of my great grandmother who taught me to gamble for nickels with a card game called 31 but I do have some memories of a few of the others too. Good genes and a couple young generations procreating are to blame. My kids got to meet at least one set of their great grandparents too.
DeleteAll I could think about looking at these is that stupidity is certainly not a new thing. I would no more get out of my vehicle and get that close to a wild animal.....
ReplyDeleteThese days, they keep better track of things and prevent this. Still, I've heard of more than one goring in Yellowstone during my lifetime.
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