If only I could be chased by dogs

8th January 2021

I had a radical trippy dream last night and woke up disappointed  that the adventure was over. Granted, chasing a giant Octopus and ensuring I was always dressed in white isn’t a true fantasy, but it did seem to make a change from my current routine.

I sometimes feel I am ‘passing time’. I feel guilty for it; time is precious and to let it slip or urge it to pass is ungrateful and defeatist.

So, to revive my faith in more adventures to come I have been hoovering my hard drives and drifting into a nostalgic trance just as I do when prying open my baby book . I occasionally hunch over it  laughing at my 4-year-old quotes or running my fingers across the curl of black hair clipped from me as a baby and sellotaped  into the archive of my life.

This image stuck out today. It reminded me of the trip in Romania when I was chased by wild dogs. It wasn’t actually from this image but none the less sparked the memory. I had been warned to place my bag at my feet and back against a wall if ever confronted by a dog in Romania. A Chinese tourist had been eaten alive just a week before my trip by a pair of savage dogs, so I took this advice seriously.

However, when peering down from the top of a quarry with no bag at my feet or wall behind me I found myself reasoning with two large mutts. I decided to communicate with a reasoning gaze and stood very still in case this could be interpreted as a sign of respect.

They simply saw me as meat. The nearest leapt ferociously towards me barking and nipped my back jean pocket turned to escape. Cradling onto my wounded arse cheek I ran down the steep quarry hill and called out to Andrei whose ears pricked 10 ft below. He courageously grabbed a large stick and ran towards me . I was saved by the dogs’ owners who heard my howls and retrieved their hounds with an apology.

 

My heart raced as we giggled with relief. I’m craving a little chaotic moment. One that causes no harm but all of the thrills . Instead, I’m sat here watching my cat attack a packet of chewing gum. Thanks to Andrei for saving me and I hope we can head back to the mountains this year. OAO x