Wow... hope I have the strength of mind to withstand the urge to sprint the hell away, but a black would just chase you down. Sounds like you did the right thing and I'm glad you got the branch to light... it probably saved your life. I'm not sure if a whistle would have helped, but it probably wouldn't have hurt. And I've always read that making your self big is a good idea as well. Note the [color:"red"]"read"[/color] part. I hope I never have to find out if it's true.

Thanks for sharing Susan. Glad you were able to tell us about it.