Crazy dreams

I'm sure if you can interpret dreams you'd have fun with this one.  There were many contributing factors to this dream, the possibility of joining the Elks Club (for cheap lodging), getting used to the Wi-Fi Ranger and having traveled through Arkansas, home of the Razorbacks.

While cresting a hill in my motorhome just at twilight I noticed a house with a swing set on the side yard and an elk helplessly tangled up in the swings.  Obviously he had been there trying to battle his way out for some time as he was frothy on his chest and panting and sweating.  His head hung downward as if he just didn't have the strength to lift those huge antlers one more time.

Since I'm the kind of person who jumps out to help turtles cross the road and guards ducks and ducklings in traffic I felt compelled to stop and try to assist.  As I slowly approached him I grew more and more apprehensive.  Man these creatures are HUGE!  Just as I was having second thoughts he looked at me and emitted this weak bugle sound and I just couldn't turn away.

Slowly I approached him and he seemed receptive to my being there.  I tenuously placed my right hand on his velvety nose.  No tremors or sign of fright.  After spending a few minutes talking to him about what we were going to do and making sure he was calm (he was much calmer than ME,that's for sure!) I started to untangle him.


Slowly, slowly I lifted the swings and their chains up and over his right antler.  So far so good.  Next I started to move the chains over his left antler and he snorted and tried to pull back.  But just a little, then he calmed again and stepped back forward and I proceeded.  

With the swings off I gently stroked his neck and told him he was okay.   He sighed heavily and blew a snort out of his nose.  

What the hell am I doing?  One sudden move and I'm sure to be gouged by these big honking antlers!  He put his head down and I thought, here it comes ...he's going to charge and I'll alter the appearance of the typical roadkill on this stretch of highway.  But he just pushed his head into my hands like he wanted to be scratched, so I obliged him.  OMG.  I'm petting a moose.  Do they enjoy being scratched behind the ears?  I'm a bit out of my realm here.

Then I felt inspired to care for him and announced we were going to get a drink of water.  I slowly backed up towards the hose and a bucket that were out by the garden.  Where are these people?  If they come suddenly running out are we all in danger?  He just stood there with his huge shaggy head hanging low to the ground watching me while I filled the bucket.

I lugged it back towards him and he seemed a bit afraid of the new element I'd added to our game, but could smell the water and after his battle of undetermined time, it appeared his need to drink outweighed his fear.  While he slurped and sloshed at his water I decided to go one step further and entered the little garden shed by the back of the house.  If these people are home I'm probably in more danger now of getting shot than killed by an elk.

Bingo!  They had a nice stash of bird and squirrel food.  I'm not sure what elk like to eat, but I'm thinking they might enjoy corn since deer and other hoofed animals seem to enjoy it, so that's what I served up for supper.  It looked a bit silly in a bird bath, but it's all I could find to put it in.  I certainly wouldn't want my new best friend to have to eat it off the ground like some kind of animal!

My guess was good - he hastily partook of the corn, gave me a nod, burped and turned to saunter into the woods.  That's it? No thank you?  No "let's keep in touch" and exchanging email addresses?  Hmph.

So, I climbed back into my motorhome, still wondering if I was hallucinating or what, but feeling very pleased and continued on.  Since it was getting quite dark now I pulled into the State Park nearby to set up camp for the night.

this is what it really looks like
 

The ranger at the entry office assigned me my campsite, took my money and I couldn't help thinking there was something odd about him.  Then it dawned on me that his emblem in the center of his ranger hat said "Wi-Fi".  I asked him if that was the name of this park and he said "you betcha" and winked at me.  How odd.  And after the deal with the elk, it's hard to shock me now.

All night long I could hear these grotesque squealing noises, and rumbling and snorting.  Man, the neighbors must really have the hots for each other or something.  The noise was unbearable and I finally had to close the windows and turn on the AC if I was going to get any sleep at all.

After packing up in the morning I noticed there wasn't anybody parked near me at all.  Then what was all that grunting and groaning and squealing about?  I decided to ask the ranger on my way out.  And sure enough, there he was again.

"Say, all night long I could hear this hideous squealing, grunting and groaning noise.  What was that all about?"  He grinned and winked at me again. What's with all the winking?  
"What you heard last night were members of the HOG rally" he explained.

"I've been around bikers before, but this was a first for me.  I could have sworn I was in a pig market." I replied.

"Well, you're partly right and partly wrong" he smiled and gave me another one of those insidious winks.  "Remember that you are in the home of the Arkansas Razorbacks".

Huh?  That meant nothing to me until I left the Wi-Fi State Park and saw the mass of motorcycles before me on the road.   No doubt about it, there was a HOG rally in town and stretched out for miles in front of me were thousands of Razorback hogs riding their Harley's in formation.

I've never seen such a sight in my life.  This made the elk encounter seem almost normal.  Then I woke up.  What do you suppose this means?

Long Live the Queen of Dreams