the wild side

The beach was pretty close to perfection yesterday: the water flat and glassy; the sky wide, pure and radiant was sunshine. Our toes were warmed in the sand, even so early in the day. Fred kicked up the beach in clouds of dusty sand as he raced for the water. He was in his element, barking at the rippling waves, running after the ball, rolling in smelly seaweed, chasing other canines and generally taking the position of owner of all he surveys. He set off on a mountaineering expedition over the rocky outcrops, disappearing from view as my friend and I trudged across the dunes to the next beach. He cheekily bounds back from his adventure with a look that says - 'so what' - and you know he's been up to no good.


One adventure I didn't want him to have though happened along the C Y O'Connor stretch of the beach. My friend and I are engaged in an entertaining exchange when I vaguely notice a retired couple walk towards us with an elderly looking black labrador. Fred and their dog struck up a acquaintanceship with perfunctory bum sniffing by both parties. All is as it should be when suddenly the boat is rocked, something shifts in the universe. What I see is the man grabbing the woman and pushing her to one side. What my friend sees is the reason why - a black snake sliding down a slope from the sand dunes. Someone, or all of us voice the obvious - 'a snake, a snake!' with all the conotations that word enfolds. For me the protective instinct kicks in fast - Freddie is vulnerable, protect, protect. Not having his lead I have to act quickly to distract him - throwing the ball far up the beach to get him away from the venomous wild creature. One thing is for sure if Freddie sees it he is going to attack, I've seen his reaction to blue tongue lizards and its not a pretty sight. In the fight or flight scenario Fred always takes the fight option esspecially with something unusual invading his territory . The moment was an instant of hieghtened awareness - a sudden 'stop' exercise, a micro-second of pause in the calm security we are lulled into by our familiar routines. The snake sensibly takes off back into the dunes, alarmed by our alarm, and our walk continues. Yet our senses have been intensified by the sudden shock; a confrontation with the random element of life, the unknown.