Our friend Tory decided to join us this morning on our bike into Aspen, as usual it was a leisure ride with some laughs, seeing a plane take off, and passing about a dozen people with no manners that don't say hello after you say hi to them. Once we got into town we took the street that runs right into the Saturday market...well we tried to take that street. It was blocked off with caution tape and fire trucks were out everywhere. At first I thought the fire department was blocking off the street for kids to come and check out the fire trucks! Which would have been totally awesome for Peyton! Not so much...they were blocking off the street because there was a huge bear on the roof of the building. Your guess is as good as mine as to how he got up there...but he was there causing a ruckus on a fabulous Saturday morning! As we were standing there making a decision on which way to go next a police officer came up to us and said, "I think it would be wise for you to move. We are trying to lure the bear off the roof and this is the escape path we are wanting him to take." Enough said...we were gone!
We make our way to the market area, park our bikes, and start walking through the tents. We find some yummy strawberry sorbet, delicious Colorado peaches, and some nice looking corn. Peyton also got to pet a Lama. Yes, a Lama...why a Lama is at a Saturday market is beyond my comprehension but Peyton sure did like it! After strolling through the block of vendors we went to the food area to get one of the worlds greatest Gyros (Brandon was waiting all day for it!). Where the food vendors are is set off to the side of the other vendors. It's in a small "woodsy" type area with a couple tables with chairs, a guy playing guitar, and huge tree that kind of makes a little fort for kids to play under. Peyton loves to play under that tree. After we were all done chowing down we went over the Aspen Animal Shelter tent to ask if they wanted all of Brandon's old tennis balls. As we were standing there waiting to talk to someone Peyton was running back and forth from under the tree to the dogs. After a couple minutes I noticed Peyton wasn't coming back from under the tree so I said to Brandon, "can you go get our child from under the tree?!" Seconds after I said that the fun began!
I heard horns blowing...people yelling and scrambling...I turn around and see a HUGE BEAR TEARING THROUGH A TENT GOING UNDER THE TREE AND STRAIGHT UP IT!!! I have never come so close to peeing my pants in public! My stomach was in my throat...I couldn't see Brandon...I couldn't see Peyton...and I had lost Tory! A little bit of panic set in because Peyton was just playing under that tree and I had no clue if Brandon had snatched him up or not. I ran by the tree and finally ran into Brandon holding Peyton! Brandon knew what the horns were and grabbed Peyton as fast as he could. They were out on the street when the bear came tearing through, so Peyton got to see the bear up close and personal! Not knowing the true danger of it...he was totally excited!! We finally found Tory and started to make our way away from the tree and the bear!
I'm pretty sure that event...that lasted about 45 seconds...made me age 5 years! After that I decided we needed some cookies and to get far away from that side of the market so we went to Paradise, got some cookies, hopped back on our bikes and made our way home.
The baffling part about the entire thing were the people standing under and around the tree trying to see the bear. Of course the police were going ballistic trying to get everyone to GO AWAY but these people were completely oblivious! Stupidity is an understatement. If anyone had gotten mauled by that bear coming down they would have deserved it because 1. they completely underestimate what a bear can do 2. they weren't listening to authority 3. they sat there not only putting themselves in danger but more than half of them had children with them! That may seem like a harsh thing to say but come on...IT WAS A 500 POUND MALE BEAR!!!!!!
Back to the police...why in the world would they be trying to lure a bear down from a building in the middle of a super busy town on a Saturday morning??!! I know they had a "preferred escape route" away from all the people and market, but did they really think the bear would do exactly what they wanted him to do!? In my own unprofessional opinion I think they should have monitored the bear and waited until the Saturday market was over before trying to capture it!
Happy Saturday!! I need a drink!!
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