biltmore

Summer Wrap-Up

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Photo of orange-yellow sunflower. Text, "Summer Wrap-Up: Petticoats & Pistols"

The day after Labor Day (in the USA) signifies the unofficial start of fall. Summer went by WAY too fast! I thought we could do a summer wrap-up and discuss the highs of summer 2024. Who’s with me?

I’ll start things off!

In June, I participated in a fun book event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a group of writers, including one of the fillies–Karen Witemeyer! We spent the day hanging out with readers at Baker Book House. What a fun event! The next day, we stopped at Captain Sundae’s in Holland for a delicious treat. That’s me and “cappy” below.

 

Photograph of Jill Kemerer standing next to wooden statue of sea captain

June was a super busy month for me on the writing front. Thankfully, I met my deadlines. Phew! I also had a book release–Training the K-9 Companion–so that was fun! Honestly, June was SO busy on the writing front, I did nothing else. Some months are like that…

In July, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary (a few weeks late) by heading to Asheville, NC, to tour the Biltmore. What a property! We spent two days walking around the grounds, learning about the Vanderbilts, and generally having a fantastic time.

 

Photograph of Biltmore house and lawn in front

After Biltmore, we drove to Myrtle Beach, SC. On the way we stopped at the famous Buc-ees gas station/supercenter. It was crowded. I could not believe how many people were in there! Were there a few times I almost walked out? Yes. I don’t handle crowded stores well.  I did purchase a ginormous cinnamon roll, and the hubs opted for beef jerky. We were glad we experienced Buc-ees. But we’re not sure we could handle it again!

Onward…to the beach. The overcast weather didn’t deter us. There’s something very relaxing about hearing the ocean waves. We made simple meals in our condo and strolled to a nearby ice cream shop one night. I’m thankful for the downtime.

 

Photo of a cloudy day on Myrtle Beach

July, too, was a very busy writing month. But I met my deadlines, so phew!

August rolled around, and I thought, How is it August already? I managed to visit the BABY ELEPHANT (How cute is that??!!) at the Toledo Zoo. Little Kirk is adorable! See picture below:

Picture of mama elephant and baby elephant at Toledo Zoo

August was a busy writing month for me (see a pattern here?), and I had to force myself to sit and write every day. I really wanted to be outside. Doing anything. Anything except writing–and I love to write. I fantasized about sitting on my deck, strolling through the park, buying stacks of books, sipping coffee for hours at a coffee shop. I like the simple things. But the books don’t write themselves, so I persisted.

Other than that, we spent quality time with our extended families, I read several books, watched the birds at the birdfeeders, put together a jigsaw puzzled, finished a Christmas craft, and spent as much time on my back deck as I could fit in. And I wrote…but you already knew that!

Okay, your turn! I’d love to hear YOUR summer wrap-up in the comments!

Here’s to a fabulous fall!

 

 

A Bear Situation

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Illustrated bear walking through grasses. Peach-tan background. Text "A Bear Situation. Petticoats & Pistols blog. Jill Kemerer."

So…we recently had a bear situation.

My husband and I  went to Asheville, North Carolina, to tour the Biltmore Estate. What a stunning property and house! I don’t know if house is the right word. Mansion doesn’t even do it justice. Castle, perhaps? It’s breathtaking. We rented an Airbnb for a few days and, on the way to the estate, took a wrong turn (okay, more than one!). Things got a little heated.

While I was fiddling with my phone’s Maps app and yelling at the GPS voice telling me to “proceed to the route,” my husband said, “Are you seeing this?”

I looked up, and there was a black bear crossing the road in front of us! Of course, by the time I pulled up my camera app, the bear had disappeared into shrubbery along the side of the road. We’d been noticing people jogging and walking their dogs in the park along the river where the bear had gone. Yikes. I hope they were safe.

Naturally, my hubby and I started discussing what would we do if a black bear appeared in front of us at a park. I told him I’d probably just die. I don’t see myself fighting off a bear. But you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Photo of author Jill Kemerer inside Biltmore House
Here I am in the Biltmore House!

Fast forward to last week when I saw this headline, “Punching an Attacking Grizzly in the Face Might Work, but not Recommended” by Mark Heinz via CowboyStateDaily.com. Apparently, a man in Canada was riding a mountain bike when he came across a mama grizzly with two bear cubs. The bear came at him, knocking him down, and he kept his bike between them to protect himself. She kept coming at him. Out of options, he punched her in the snout, got on his bike and escaped. From the above article:

“Grizzlies almost never attack people with the intent of trying to kill and eat them. But when that happens, all bets are off,” Neal said.

“In the case of a predacious attack, then the victim must fight back with everything that he has, and the nose and eyes should be his top targets,” Neal said.

 

I didn’t realize punching a bear in the nose could be used as a last line of defense. It got me to thinking about the black bear in Asheville.

What would I do if I came across a black bear?

The National Park Service website (NPS.gov) recommends the following if you’re in a bear situation.

“If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

And for grizzlies?

“If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

To summarize–if you come across a black bear, ESCAPE! If escape is impossible, punch its face. But if you come across a grizzly or brown bear, PLAY DEAD! If playing dead is impossible, punch its face.

Have you ever had a bear situation? If yes, what did you do? If not, what do you think you’d do?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Two of my books are discounted this month for Kindle Deals! The Prodigal’s Holiday Hope is on sale for $1.99, and A Cowboy to Rely On will be on sale for $3.99. Both books are part of my Wyoming Ranchers series through Love Inspired. I hope you’ll give them a try!