OK, these are the rules:
1. Try to appear as large as possible.
2. Don't try to take anything back from them.
3. Never get between a mother and her cub.
4. Bang on pots and pans and otherwise make a lot of noise.
5. If you're scared, don't run, just back away slowly.
If you're scared??
We drove into the mountains of California yesterday, first going though the Sequoia National Forest, ending up in King's Canyon National Park, in the High Sierras. We are booked into a lodge for two nights.
The rules above are some of what to do if you have an encounter with a bear. If it's a cougar you meet up with, do virtually the same, except there's an additional rule: If attacked, fight back!
I'm not making that up!
So far, the only wildlife we've run into are several chipmunks and a beautiful bird, new to us, the Steller's Jay. One had his eye on some cashews I was munching as I sat on the porch of the lodge. Sorry, pal. I'm not supposed to feed the wildlife.
Mountain driving is not something I'm fond of, especially the way back down. Fortunately, every time I've done it I was using a rental car, rather than taxing the transmission and brakes of my own vehicle. (Hey, wait a minute! My car was a rental before I bought it!)
In any case, the splendor of God's creation, in all of it's diversity, can take your breath away if you stop to appreciate it.
It helps, also, to follow the rules, treating it with respect and gentleness.