by Ethan Holmes

Created on: February 21, 2009

Earth's Blood

Tim and Nancy Brock considered Sequoia National Forest in Central California an almost sacred place to visit. They had met each other here on a hiking trail near Lake
Isabella three years ago and became nearly inseparable immediately. Both shared a deep abiding love for nature, ecological awareness and nature conservancy. They also shared a passion for camping and hiking that found them spending many weekends and vacations trying to squeeze in as much exploration and discovery as possible in the short time allotted. Tim was the classic thirty four year old California sky blue-eyed, sun-bleached blonde. He worked for himself as a carpentry sub-contractor building new homes which he sometimes found contrary to his passions about the planetary environment and nature.

Nancy, at 32 with shoulder length black hair and an athletic build was a manager for a nationwide upscale women's department store chain. Making her living satisfying the whimsical, selfish needs of spoiled brats and wives or girlfriends of rich men seemed to her an empty vocation. There was many a time when rather than satisfy the customer's supposed needs Nancy felt that what they most needed was a hard slap to the side of their overly-coiffed head. Laughing, she would remind herself if she did that she would have to clean up all the make-up that would fall off their face and on to the floor. She found their constant whining and complaining downright annoying and was baffled about the fact that the richer the women were the more they whined for free stuff.

Heading to the wilderness was their escape. Since they found no fulfillment in what they did for a living they tried to find it by getting close to nature, going back to true basics, constantly exploring yet certain that there was never going to be enough time to see and experience it all. This day found them coming back from a long hike near the Isabella Reservoir looking forward to getting back to their tent, a hot meal grilled in the mountain air and a soft place to sleep under the stars.

Back at the trailhead they had stopped for water and a snack break. They decided to sit trailside on a huge hollow log with the water of the reservoir still in sight just north of them and the east and south bounded by high pine forest. The parking lot where they had left the truck was about one hundred yards away to the east just before the tree line. Though it was only late afternoon they found themselves already anticipating breaking out the tent

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