Baboo

In the Navajo reservation, a skinny dog, with junked up eyes and only 3 working legs found his way to our lunch stop. He was skiddish and afraid but hunger overrode his fears as snooped around for something to eat. One of the group took pity on him and he has been with us ever since. His name is Baboo, formally unknown.

Now he's got some meat on his bones, his eyes are clear and loving, and he embraces affection. He rides in the van and is there to greet us at our stops. He willingly gets smuggled in a cooler if we stay in a "no pets allowed hotel". He eats like a king, and even with a bum hip he has no problem hopping up onto a cozy bed. He is probably a lab crossed with a basset/dachshund....hence one of his nicknames...Lowrider.

Baboo has become one of the group, and the rest of us take great delight in humanizing the thoughts he might have about his past, present and future life. After the trip he will get a hip replacement, loose a bit of his manhood and find his home in Greenville. We are all pooling our money to pay for his vet bills.

We are in Columbia, SC home to the Gamecocks. The weather is treating us like Kings.

Our friend is showing more signs of recognition, like thumbs up, and some subtle head movement. His family is starting to make plans to move him to a trauma unit closer to home. He continues to dominate our thoughts.