NOVEMBER 20, 2021 In his youth, my paternal grandfather, Harrison Ora Foltz, had a near encounter with a mountain lion. Harrison Foltz, 11 years old, 1921. Week 47: Thankful During Harry’s boyhood years, he spent some time living on or near Indian Reservation land in Oregon. This was likely the Warm Springs Reservation near Bend, Oregon. One day he was walking to the mailbox, which was a couple of miles down the road, there and back. He noticed on his way back to the house a puma was tracking him! As soon as he made it safely inside, he told his mom. Myrtle (Mills) Foltz, 1918, Walla Walla, Washington. Myrtle immediately retorted, “There’s no pumas here!” She clearly didn’t believe little Harry, but when she took a look out the door, lo and behold, there was a cougar! Not one to take any chances, Myrtle was set on defending her family. She kept a loaded rifle behind the front door, as many probably did during the early 1900s in this remote area of Oregon. She took aim, shot, and ...