October 3, 2017
Stress!
May I tell my side of the story about our heroic adventure on the Besseggen? Asks our dog Floyd while he looks at me with his irresistible brown eyes. He is lying firmly curled against me on our tight camper bench. Surprised I look up from my book and answer: ‘Of course Floyd’. I immediately drag my computer towards me. Floyd sits down and as a director, subdued in his brown leather chair, he begins to dictate stately.
Gjendesheim
We are there. Gjendesheim. I jump up awake and do not know how quickly I have to wriggle my legs under me. The camper door does not yet click out of the lock or I am already excitedly flying outside for my exploratory tour. Water! I run in it while hearing the owners worryingly inform whether the two-day Besseggen tour is possible for me. Pardon, pour moi? Undermined in my dog pride, I jump with my wet, muddy body high up against my boss to make clear to her: ‘Has there ever been a mountain where I was not the first one the reach the top?
Shame
The next morning really early I push my wet nose into my boss’ ear. ‘Bench’, is his grumpy answer and this time I decide to listen. Bursting with impatience, I await the start of the four-hourly easy walking tour under the guidance of the clear sun. Drawing huge tree trunks, I let my tail wave like the hand of a king. Blacking, I chase squirrels till they trembling hide in the trees. And on the terrace at Memurubu Hytte, I pontifically storm a trio of knitting curly grey heads. Now that everyone knows that I’m here, I roll extremely satisfied on my back for a snoring. Fortunately, shame does not exist in the dog dictionary.
Headless stressed chicken
The next day, halfway along the Besseggen, I suddenly turn from the bravura male to a headless stressed chicken. Seeing the pointy boulders rising to the sky in combination with the bottomless ravines freezes me. It doesn’t matter how sweet voiced my bosses encourage me. I don’t dare to take one more step. Not even when they build bridges of themselves and the backpacks. I simply do not see the easy-way-out. First I want to flee. Then my adrenaline pump switches on which enables me to go from freezing to fighting mode to risk a jump anyway. I land in the arms of on of my bosses and look back in amazement. Was it really this easy? Still, four more times this stupid donkey bumps into the same stressful situation before we reach the summit.
Lightning speed
There I let myself fall into a pond, trembling all over my body. The owners cuddle me out of compassion and I get half an apple, which I love so much. They don’t understand that with this panting, I let all the stress that has been built up run out of my body at lightning speed. After fifteen minutes I feel like the king again. Showing of with my tale wagging in the wind. Rebooted for the last seven kilometres which we descent in flying speed.
Utilised waste of energy
‘ Today we will give Floyd a day of rest’. This is what I hear the bosses say to each other the next morning while I am eating my chunks like a wild animal. Now what? Because of yesterday? In response to this crazy idea, I let my playing ball bounce irritatingly often on their feet. Listen:”I don’t repeatedly, like you guys, look back at the past until even years later. How it should have been different. What could have happened. What a useless waste of energy. I have left everything, trembling and shaking, behind me where it belongs. On the mountain. Now I have plenty of energy again’. The owners look at each other with raised eyebrows and start laughing gradually. Your message is clear Floyd:’ Come on. Let’s play’.
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