Working a full-time job has finally caught up with me and I have been too tired to update my blog the past week or so. But I have another lesson and it's about: bears! Saying "there's a bear on the porch" is almost as common as saying "thank you" in Alaska. But at least now I've learned the motto "black fight back, brown hit the ground." This, of course, is referring to brown/grizzly bears and black bears. In Juneau we only have black bears, which can range from 150-400 pounds.  They're much less aggressive than grizzlys are and often will leave you alone if you show that you mean no harm. If they do attack, fight back! Apparently they are pretty easy to battle with... http://juneauempire.com/local/2011-08-30/woman-punches-bear-save-her-dog#.T9FyzeJYugQ
Grizzlys are much rougher to fight. If they come after you, your best bet is to play dead. If they think you pose no threat to them, they'll walk away. But they will always most likely attack first! And no matter what, DO NOT RUN because bears are fast!