The "Wild thing" led to politics on the divide and anthropology on the side.

Jim and I found the most perfect campsite however it was intensely infested with mosquito's. We were out of water and in an arid area so there was no choice, we had to camp near water. I chose a site right next to the stream, set my tent up while doing the "mosquito dance", flailing my arms, and cussing. Jim went a quarter mile away in hopes to escape the mosquito brigade only to do exactly the same thing. Those buggers were thick. I jumped in my tent and sat watching Jim dance and flail. I ate (yes inside my tent) and waited for the Mosquito's to "lift" but they never did. As the big full moon began to rise I made a dash outside to hang my food from the bridge over the creek and move my "stink like food" bike away from my tent. Slapping and dancing I dove back inside and spent the next ten minutes making little bloody silhouettes on my tent walls. The moon was big and beautiful and instigated howling by the wolves in the valley. It was a bit eerie but beautiful as well. As I stared at the moon three big animals came over the ridge in the moonlight striding with purpose. I froze. They came closer and then caught my scent or saw me, and their purpose changed. I laid still but reached for my bear spray ever so slowly. The alpha came up to my tent with a snarl, that turned into a smile and a wagging tail. Sheep herders dogs...their purpose? The wolves. I interrupted their job for a minute. Eventually I had to push them out of my tent. They were HUGE dogs. My hand spread out did not cover the head of the dog in the mystery photo. They went off into the valley behind me and apparently did their job as their was a great deal of communication going on for sometime. They visited again on their return trip but I did not see them again. In the morning we repeated the dance routine as we packed up and got the hell out of there. As we crested the ridge leading out of the valley there was a rancher and a BLM employee standing there talking. The rancher had blood all over him....

To be continued...