Gonzalez

I awoke in my field near Gangi this morning, to find a dog waiting patiently for me right outside my tent. When I saw him there, I nearly jumped out of my skin! He disappeared while I was breakfasting and packing away; but when I rode away, he appeared again, and he started chasing after me. This was one hell of a fast dog: I was cruising down the highway; but he easily kept up with me, and he didn't give up until after I'd reached Gangi. He was so speedy, I decided to call him "Gonzalez". Poor fella — guess he was just lonely, and wanted some company.

I think that Gonzalez first started hanging round me yesterday evening. While I was setting up and eating in the dark — in my little field — I heard something slinking around nearby, and I saw a pair of glinting eyes when I shone my headlamp around. He was a friendly chap: he didn't bark at me or bother me throughout the night; but I think that he was right there, with me all the time.

Gonzalez wanted to be my friend — so much so, that he chased me all the way down the highway to Gangi; which turned out to be no problem for him, as he's a speedy little whippet. However, all I wanted was for him to leave me in peace. He was really getting in my way while I was riding: both myself and the passing traffic nearly ran him over numerous times; and I actually did run straight into him at one point, when he ran in front of me, and stopped dead ahead. Stupid bugger — didn't have much road sense, I'm afraid.

Anyway, I'm glad that I finally shook Gonzalez off my tail: he was a royal pain in the butt; and he can't very well follow me all the way around Sicily. But I also miss him a bit — he was a sweet pup — and I feel sorry for him, being lonely as a dog without a master.