My Semester Grand Finale

So, have I mentioned that I hit a deer on Tuesday night on my way home from Bemidji? Yep. Figures it would happen at the end of the last day of the semester - sort of a grand finale. The good news is that I don't have to do any driving on the Bemidji route for about six weeks. So, in some twisted way, this happened at the best possible time.

It was a little freaky, though. I hit one in the same car, about three years ago, and messed up the exact same part of my car (front drivers side). I am thankful for my clunky old heavy metal Jeep. If I had a fiberglass type car, I would've been toasted. Both times it was the same deal. Just past twilight (this is when they lurk in the ditches, gangs of deer chewing the grass and looking at each car that passes with a blank sort of disinterest). Early winter, with a fairly clear, but somewhat icy road. And - boom - all of a sudden, there is a deer in the middle of the road, standing pretty much on the yellow line. And I see her, and she sees me, and she jumps - right in front of my car. And I just take my foot off the gas, tighten my grip on the steering wheel, and (yes, I admit it) close my eyes. I hear, quite clearly, my headlight shatter, and it sounds so loud that I'm sure it was my windshield, or my window. And I'm thrown forward in my seat, and basically just try not to twist the steering wheel, but keep plowing ahead. There is another deer, standing on the shoulder, waiting, then frozen, a shocked witness. Then she bounds off into the trees. The sad thing is, that moment right before I hit her is the closest I've ever been to a deer, and then she's just gone.

And then the worst time - I feel like I should turn around, check on her. But it's dark and late and I'm in the middle of nowhere, about 20 miles into a seventy-five mile drive, with one headlight and no brights. And a car that appears to be running, but for how long I'm not sure. So I keep driving. That is hard.

But I got home in one piece. Also: I couldn't cry or freak out, because I had to drive. It was tricky. I haven't started the car since then, so I'm not sure it's still running, but at least it got me home. However, the Jeep is not looking pretty. The front fender is trashed, the headlight is missing and punched in (well, all the lights are), there is no grille. Ah, the joys of northern living. I do say this though, at least it wasn't a bear, like Jonathan and Natasha's recent run-in.