Bhima
Thursday, November 8th, 2007
On the second day of camp, I was running up and down the mountains in this wonderfully preserved pine forest up north in Willits, Mendocino County, in the Golden State of California. The day before, our hosts told us about wildlife in the area, and that although spotted seldom and far between, we should be wary of mountain lions and bears, both grizzly and black bears. Cool!
From the gate I turned right to a dirt road that goes up a hill then snakes as the road slowly goes downhill. I was a bit pumped up and sweating despite the very low humidity in the air. In a little clearing I was doing stretches, when suddenly I heard hurried footfalls of a four-legged beast. I looked up above to see what it was. But since it was still dark, I only see a flurry black ball speeding up towards me. I was near panic and flashes of Tristan fighting against the bear, (Legends Of The Fall) and confrontations with the uncanny lions of Tsavo (The Ghost And The Darkness) came before me.
When I came to my senses, the four-legged beast was licking my face with its wet tongue. It was BHIMA, the dog in camp!
From that day onward, BHIMA runs with me every morning, wakes me up in the tent, and never lets go, lest the nylon netting of the tent’s door will go to pieces. The dog also accompanies me when I go visit and fertilize the forest. The eco-toilet that was made for us can hardly beat the natural beauty of the woods all by myself. Ahh no, the woods that I and BHIMA share together!
