Monday, June 16, 2008

Gratitude Monday - Curiosity


It’s good to be curious. Having an interest in the world around us and acting on it keeps us young of mind. We’re vital and engaged in the world and it keeps us learning. That, in turn, keeps our minds active and useful.
We get going on new things, meet new people and find out why we like or dislike them. Curiosity gets our questions answered. It also gives us our questions.
Can you imagine how boring life would be if we didn’t have an active interest in what was happening? Or worse, if we thought we knew everything? At the very least, we wouldn’t have many friends, and if we did, I can’t seem them sticking around too long.
We wouldn’t go anywhere or do anything or try anything new.
Some of my more interesting culinary adventures were caused because I said to myself, “I wonder…”
Curiosity got me to taste musk ox and witchetty grub and I even tried a bite of raw hamburger once.
Without curiosity I would never have been caught in a jungle rainstorm in the Amazon and that means I would not know that palm leaves make a great cover for a camera.
I short, without curiosity I wouldn’t know very much, but I bet I’d think I did.
#
And because I know you’re curious, the picture was taken out the back window of my car. I was a few miles east of the Banff National Park gate on Highway 11 when I saw three bears in the ditch. They’d been there when I went by several hours earlier and were still happily feeding away when I got back in late afternoon.
I stopped for a few pictures, but when this little guy decided to check out the vehicle in front of me I decided to leave.
I was just barely past it when I thought I needed a few more pictures so I shot them out the back window.

Here they are feeding in the morning:



I took this video out the front window of the car. It would have been of better quality if I'd gotten out of the vehicle, but that simply did not seem like a rational move.

12 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Cool! I haven't seen a bear yet this year (and, in a way, hope not to...). Thanks for sharing your bears with us!
And thanks for the Gratitude reminder!

Leah J. Utas said...

Totally understand.
I enjoy a good bear sighting as long as I'm in a running vehicle.

Reb said...

Leah, how wonderful for you to see the bears! Twice! Very glad you stayed in the car, but I wonder how smart were the people in the car behind you? I hope they weren't trying to feed them.

You are so right about the curiosity thing. Unfortunately it can lead to hours spent on the net, because one thing always leads to another. Especially on Wikipedia! With all there links!

Missicat said...

Bears! wow! Saw one hiking a number of years back, I believe on Old Rag Mountain in VA. I would have preferred being in my car! :-)

Hilary said...

Wow.. first Goldilocks, and now you! ;) Great post Leah.. I love bears.

Leah J. Utas said...

Reb, I wondered that, too. I didn't see any movement from the vehicle.

Missicat, you're here to tell the tale. That's what matters.

Leah J. Utas said...

Hilary, thanks. I was thinking about Goldilocks, too.
I'm quite blessed to have seen them.

Crabby McSlacker said...

Bears are definitely more fun to see from a car--it's great that you had your camera.

I've run into them out on the trail (not literally, thank god) and they scare the beejesus out of me.

But from a car--cute little guys!

Leah J. Utas said...

Crabby, I totally understand and agree with your reaction to bears.

I like them when I can get away fast.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Through the car window is the only way I think I'd want to see a bear. I consider myself a curious sort, but my curiosity does have limits! :-)

Thomma Lyn said...

Oh, you lucky duck -- you got bear pictures! :) I'm still hoping for some myself. I've run across black bears on two of my hikes, but no pictures because they were surprise encounters and the bears ran away quickly, before I could get my camera out. Thank you for sharing -- they are beautiful.

And I like that you paired a post on curiosity with the bear pictures! Bears are such curious creatures. And as you say, it is good that we humans are as well. :)

Leah J. Utas said...

I totally agree, Bunnygirl.

TL, you're lucky the bears ran away. Too bad you missed out on pics, though.
Thanks for liking my pairing.