Fare well my friend Camots.

I did not plan to write another post about this but after all the messages, emails, comments and calls I received I have to. The reactions of Camots` and my friends came unexpected completely blew me away and made me very happy at the same time. This is why I am writing this.

Yesterday was the day I buried Camots. I found him a beautiful place on a hill in a fresh planted forest – and since he loved dirtbikes so much close to a Motocross track. The day was full of harmony and zen and the weather perfect. Contrary to the day before when it was dark and raining hard the sun was out parading a beautiful blue sky and reflecting one last time on his pretty shining coat.

To find the place we went out there… to our our loved outdoors and started to drive around waiting for inspiration to find the perfect spot. I stopped a few times walked around and checked for all the things I was hoping to find. Eventually we reached a place that we had visited before together with a new friend we made here. We had been drone-flying there and I had discovered the local Motocross track that Camots was all stoked about. I drove by once came back drove by again… Went for a walk drove some more and then started to narrow in on the perfect spot.

I buried Camots with a few shells and rocks from his favorite beach. Even at our last moments together he looked perfect as ever: relaxed face-expression eyes closed fur shining and paws slightly crossed. We were sitting there together in a sunny warm spot in the forest and I red him all the comments and messages from our friends who loved him. I bowed to my friend and mentor who took care of me more then I did take of him. Camots` guided me through some dark moments and it was not always easy for him. His friendship was so unconditional that at some point it became clear that I can do everything with him – except leaving him. And I promised him that this would never happen. Eventually it became the biggest worry in my life that whatever I was doing I can`t leave him more than a few hours and I had to make it back to him. So whenever we went out Enduro riding with friends I only joined them for a few hours while Camots was patiently waiting in the van his preferred “Happy place”. And every risk I was taking out there was balanced against the thought “what happens to Camots if I do not make it back”? Friends who will read this will smile – because for them it was always difficult to invite me because my first question was usually “But what about Camots?”.

I also stopped international travel and reduced travel to road-trips with the van for which I did not have to leave him behind. When I started to have health issues in 2016 I knew that I had to manage them mostly with “onboard tools” (healthy living) rather than going to hospitals. An approach I had always favoured anyways but now it was critical in order to live up to the only request Camots ever had for me: “Do not leave me!” And with this, Camots had managed to make me care about him more than about myself. Which is an awesome feeling. And I am happy that I never had to break this promise to him – even though we drove quite a few people crazy… 😉

And Camots was worth every “sacrifice” I made while sacrifice is probably not the right word. As one of our friends wrote Camots was of truly majestic behaviour and calm composure – royalty in a wolf coat. Everybody loved him except maybe some male dogs he thought he had to discipline … He was full of respect be it for our house, my things, food, the car or hotel rooms (where he was always welcome) or be it for other animals. He never tried to hurt anything, left the wildlife in the forest alone, accepted the stray cat into the house and was always respectful with the dog-chicks no matter how much they turned him on or how much they were “bitching” at him… ;-). Still, if attacked, he was clearly able to hold his position and defend himself. In Romania where we had spent some time he was frequently attacked by packs of wild shepherd dogs who are trained to fight wolves with their lives. In Switzerland, he once encountered a vicious Rhodesian Ridgeback. After trying to fend him off for a long time by defensive behavior, he eventually realised that this monster was serious, while I was shouting “attack”. 15 seconds later the Ridgeback was on his back… with Camots` teeth perfectly planted on his throat and without being hurt.

Whenever we were hiking, my key focus was on his body language and most of all on his ears. He could sense everything a multiple times earlier than me – and immediately knew if it was a threat or not. For example in the Romanian forest, were we often passed bears or their layers – he always warned me to be cautious or even turn around. But thats just a detail – I learned so much from him, I don`t even know where to start… 😉

Fare well my friend, you were a rockstar and you will always be as you will always be in the hearts of people who were privileged to meet you.

I will always keep seeing the world in this perspective: