A strange dream from the past

In the dream, it was late autumn, dusk, no leaves (or snow) on the trees. I was with a tour group in France. The van let us off at this path through the woods. Most of the group took off past me while I was struggling with my big heavy suitcase with one hand and arm--and a big brown squirrel with the other.

I had the feeling I had made the van driver stop somewhere when we saw the squirrel, that clearly had something wrong with it, and I had picked it up, so I got no sympathy.

I walked on a little way, watching the others disappear down the lane in front of me. The last of them, a big tall woman, strode past me at about 10 mph, saying, "We'll have to hurry to get to the chateau before dark." By then, it almost was dark.

I stopped by a tree with a big limb hanging over, and I set the squirrel on the limb. "You can live here in this tree," I told it, but it looked so lost and miserable, I took it back in my arms and tried to pick up the suitcase.

That was one enormous squirrel. Do squirrels grow bigger in France? (The picture shows similar color and mood, but prettier because of the snow.)

The "alone, burdened and anxious" feeling in the dream was similar to what I felt a lot of the time while we were (actually) in England. I was the shortest person in that group, and was usually trying to keep up with somebody. My "buddies" on the tour were Julianne and Bill, a couple from Maine who were just a tad younger than I was, and both of them I swear over six feet tall. Julianne was even bigger than Bill. They were "compleat travelers" who were going on to Egypt after England. Over the years I've wondered why they always seemed to be far off in front of everybody when I needed a hand or someone to talk to.

And I've often reflected on the fact that, at the time and place they would have been in Egypt, there were riots and shootings, some big deadly event.

I kept telling myself, while in England, "Someday I'll laugh about my predicaments on this trip." I had no idea it would take ten years or more before the humor kicked in.