Musings on Outdoor Life…
I was randomly surfing the web today and ran across this amusing story, copying it into the temporary storage area I use when I’m writing, but I forgot to write down any information for credits before I closed the window. I wish I could give credit where credit is due:
I used to ride my bicycle for a few hours every other day. On one of my longer routes out in the boonies, I kept encountering a German Shepherd which lacked a bit of respect for anything going past its house (something missed in its formative years, I guess). It charged me several times and I only managed to escape with a burst of adrenaline and good luck. Determined not to let the beastie scare me away from a good ride, I packed a can of pepper mace one day. Sure enough, as I rounded the turn, Mr. Dog spotted me and headed in my direction, firing off warning barks as it approached. I reached into my jersey pocket and aimed the pepper spray right at him and once he was in range, I let loose. At that point, I had what long-time drunkards call a “moment of clarity” when I realized that I’d sprayed the mace directly into the wind. A few minutes later, Mr. Dog and I were both lying on the ground side by side crying, our common plight having extinguished the animosity between us. Owner comes out, sees two writhing bodies on the ground and calls 911. Rescue squad shows up AND THEY TREATED THE %#&^*#$ DOG FIRST! I now carry my S&W .380 instead.
Not a bad idea to arm yourself with some deterrent. I haven’t really encountered anything, besides a few poisonous snakes, that really endangered me. However, the old joke about the bear charging the hikers comes to mind. One started to run and the other said, “Don’t you know that a bear can outrun a human?” and the other replied, “I don’t have to outrun him. I just have to outrun YOU.”
How true!
