We have been down the woods a few times recently. Looking at the colours and enjoying the walk not thinking much just experiencing the landscape. Fred is off searching and I’m just looking at the trees in a strange ‘semi place’ in my mind that is difficult to describe as it totally functioning but I don’t remember much. Then I become aware of a distant shouting and Fred is not in sight either! Easy to deduce Fred is the cause for the shouting. It is distant and locating the direction of the noise is impossible in an ocean of trees. So, I walk this way calling Fred, then I walk that way calling him. I can still hear the intermittent shouting and I know Fred is not going to come back as something has really got his attention. The shouting is beginning to worry me, as it sounds more urgent. What is going on here I walk this way and that and back again…no Fred…no nothing except this constant shouting which is really beginning to sound like someone is being murdered!! I whistle occasionally and call out and this is going on a worryingly along time. Then suddenly Fred is running towards me, I am expecting to see blood, injuries, wounds signs of fighting and violence!
Fred is absolutely fine, unmarked and seemingly very happy and pleased with himself. I put him on the lead and walk in the direction he came from. I can still hear the shouting and things are confusing me, as whatever this is all about is continuing to happen without Fred being involved. Then through the trees appears a figure with two dogs both on a single shared lead with the guy I recognised as the motorcyclist (the former motorcycle racer). He is hanging on being pulled by the two dogs which are the Husky and the Alsatian we encountered a week or two ago. The constant shouting turns out to be this guy trying to control his dogs, ‘DARRIUS – no Darrius – Darrius – get here, DARRIUS – this way – NO’. These dogs are both on the lead and I can’t tell which one is Darrius? The guy says your dog has been playing with these two and its been fine.
I apologise for taking a while to find Fred. He says we were on the other side of the brook when he found us and they have had a great time playing together. I asked if any of them were hurt. He says – no they enjoyed it!
I walk away and check Fred for injuries again but there are none. I walk back to the car relieved and feeling a little weird, we are nearly back when I see a woman with two dogs and I mention to her that there is a guy with two very formidable dogs an Alsatian and a Husky. She said Oh we know them, he is the man who shouts at his dogs all the time one is called ‘Darrius’. She thought it was an overreaction, trying to keep his two dogs in check and she didn’t like the way he spoke to his dogs. She also said he does keep them on the lead most of the time.
I walked on thinking what a drama, how things can appear from one perspective and are not what they seem? Perceptions of reality is blurred area!
Trees were nice.
