Foolin' Around with the Wednesday Hodgepodge

Looking for my "B" for my A-Z post?  Click here.

1. Since these questions are posting on the first day of April it seems only right to ask-when was the last time you did something foolish? If you can't answer that one, try this one-when was the last time someone fooled you?
I think I do something foolish every day.  Too many to pinpoint just one!

2. What's the last biography or non-fiction book you've read? Was it any good?
Picnic at the Iron Curtain by Susan Viets  The author is a journalist who was there when the wall came down.  The reader follows her from London, to Eastern Europe behind the wall.  Very interesting.

3. Garlic-friend or foe? What's your favorite dish made with garlic?
Oh, how I love garlic!!!  I don't have a favorite dish, but I usually at least double the amount of garlic you're supposed to put in recipes!

4. Several Spring flower festivals happen in the US during the month of April. Of those listed, which would you most like to see in person...The Skagit Tulip Festival in Skagit Washington, The Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville Tennessee, The North Carolina Azalea Festival in Wilmington North Carolina or the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket Island, Massachussets?
Since the Dogwood Arts Festival is in my backyard, that one is OUT!  Callaway Gardens in Ga. is supposed to have amazing azaleas, but I couldn't find if they have a festival or not.  I would have to say the Daffodil Festival Weekend on Nantucket, just because it's in New England, and I've never been there.

5. How do you choose which blogs to read?  What is something that will make you stop and read every time? Something that makes you say, 'eh, think I'll skip this one and move on to the next'?

I read blogs where I have a common interest with that person.  I've been awful about visiting some every day.  Must do better with that!

6. April is National Mathematics Education Month so tell us, when did you last use math? 

I use math every day in my job.  Have to calculate those percentages to see how my kids are progressing!

7. In honor of the A-Z challenge kicking off on April 1...choose one word beginning with the letter A to describe your yesterday.
Awesome.  On Tuesdays (unlike Mondays & Wednesdays) I have time to breathe.  I have a couple of breaks to get things (like paperwork!) done.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
As I'm watching this, I'm listening to a story about the Hemp Bill in Tn.  They interviewed a woman that I bought some hemp seeds from at the Women Expo a few weeks ago.  If you haven't had hemp seeds, try it if you get a chance.  They kind of taste like sunflower seeds, actually.  They are supposed to help with memory, and help with cholesterol.  I don't know if that's what helped, but when I had blood drawn a couple of weeks ago, my level was lower than it had been.  Hmmmm.....

Black Bear

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Black bears can be seen in the Great Smoky Mountains.  If you're in the park, and there is a big traffic jam, you can bet that it's because of a "Bear Jam".  I can remember the excitement of getting caught in a Bear Jam when I was little.

If you visit the park and see a bear, please stay in your car.  It really ticks me off when people pull off of the side of the road and get out of their car to get a closer look.  People are just stupid sometimes.

If you're on the trail, follow the rules.  The National Park Service instructs that "willfully approaching within 50 yards (150 feet), or any distance that disturbs or displaces a bear is illegal in the park."

The NPS provides these suggestions if you should happen to see a bear:
1)  slowly back away.  Don't turn, and don't run.
2)  If the bear follows you, change your direction.  If he continues to follow, stand your ground and make noise.  Throw non-food items at him and make yourself seem larger.
3)  If you have food items, get rid of them!

Most importantly, please remember that these are not virtual bears.  You're in their home, and they will protect it.  There have been recent stories of bears who have had to be euthanized because of contact with a human, when the human has been the one to initiate the contact. 

The Appalachian Bear Rescue is located just outside of the Great Smoky Mountains.  They rehabilitate bears and return them to the wild.  We have had representatives come to one of my schools.  Every fall, we have a container in the foyer of the school for nuts and apples that are taken to the ABR.  The kids have a good time collecting acorns around the school and their home for the bears.

Go to the Great Smoky Mountains and have fun looking for the bears, but keep your distance!

Abrams Falls

(For photo creds, click on the pictures)

Abrams Falls isn't a very high waterfall, but it can be very "heavy".  It's also very beautiful.  The hike is also very beautiful.  It's a little bit of hike to get to, but well worth it.  It is rated as a "moderate" hiking trail, but there are parts of it that seem more like "difficult".  The total round trip hike is 5 miles, and should take anywhere between 3-4 hours.  And, of course, there's always the danger that you may see a bear wandering around. Appropriate footwear would be hiking boots due to the trekking over rocks, as well as a couple of log bridges.
The trailhead is just inside Cades Cove.  Due to this, if you're planning a trip to Abrams Falls, you probably should add in at least an extra hour to get to/from the trailhead...just in case.  There are times when traffic is heavy in The Cove.

As with any waterfall, there is a serious danger of drowning if you get in at the bottom of the fall.  There have been some deaths due to people not heeding this warnings.  www.hikinginthesmokies.com reports that this hike is listed in the top 10 most dangerous hikes in the country.  (I'm glad I didn't know that last time I hiked it!)  The reason for its listing is the threat of hypothermia, as well as the drowning risk.  But, don't let that deter you from hiking to Abrams Falls...it's well worth the hike as long as you respect the surroundings.