Strange Encounters

What a strange week we are having as our family says good bye to 2011. Two days ago my van had an ice encounter and slid into a curb and the front passenger wheel broke off. I have driven in Alaska my entire life and in this particular vehicle for eight years. Nothing can prepare you for the helpless feeling of your car sliding out of control. Thankfully no one was injured. One car out of commission.

Then last night Reuben and I were heading to the theater to watch Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol and a deer rammed into our smart car. That's right, a deer hit us. We were going down a hill at about 20 mph and an unseen doe decided to bolt across the road just as we were passing by. This resulted in a huge crashing sound on the passenger side and me letting out an ear piercing scream. We stopped the car and got out to see the doe on the road flailing her legs- she was obviously injured. It was heartbreaking to watch her struggle to her feet and stagger into the woods. There was no way to follow her and put her down if she was too badly injured. Now, I am in total support of my husband hunting animals for our family to have food. But seeing an injured animal suffer is just sad. While Reuben called the police, I alerted the neighbors to be on the lookout for an injured deer. Our car has body damage in front of the passenger door, a cracked headlight, and the engine began to overheat. So two cars out of commission in two days.
My plan is to stay home today. Off the roads.