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| Even our dog seemed to welcome the rain this morning. She chose to get wet, versus going in her doghouse or asking to come in! |
I don't usually hope for rain on a holiday weekend.
This is certainly not the kind of weather I would normally hope for on a three-day weekend, especially as we have a number of outdoor things planned. However, this downpour is just the sort of rain needed to dampen forests and help extinguish wildfires. It would be selfish for me to complain, or wish for drier weather this weekend! I just hope it is enough water to quell the flames and enable the firefighters to return home.
Last year I wrote two posts about Labor Day. One mentioned the weather, and in the other, I reminded everyone to be extra-careful driving during the increased holiday traffic. The best advice though, is really just to be careful all of the time!
An unavoidable accident
Coming home from a high school soccer game this past week, on a fortunately fairly empty highway and traveling the speed limit of 70 mph, our car struck a deer. It was unavoidable, and I was grateful for my husband's defensive driving skills. Had he not slowed as much as he had in the instant after we saw the deer, or if he had swerved or hit the brakes hard, the outcome might have been much more dire. The only damage done was to the poor deer and the front of my car.
This collision with a deer has me thinking about a lot of things.
- It's hard to believe an impact with an animal that probably only weighed 100-to-125 pounds can do that much damage.
- I hope I am as good of a person as the woman who gathered the parts of our bumper up off the road, and stopped to be sure that we were okay. We didn't learn her name, and I was on the phone with 911 at the time, so I didn't even get to thank her. We were very grateful for her help!
- Most of us feel like we pay too much for insurance - but right now I am very glad we have it.
- I locked eyes with the deer just before the impact. I can't get the vision of her lovely face out of my head, and I wish that she had leaped safely off the road. I am grateful her body did not come through our windshield, or cause anyone traveling behind us to have an accident.
- We think we are in control of our lives - but circumstances and priorities can change instantaneously.
- Being happy has less to do with what happens to us, than with how we view the things that happen.
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| In this moment, we could have complained about the rain pelting the front windshield - or felt lucky for the beautiful scene behind us. |
Whatever the weather, whatever your plans - -
I hope your weekend is safe and wonderful, and that you
make the most - - of all of it!
Glad to hear you are safe and well.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary K. I am also!
DeleteI am sorry that you had the accident, and grateful that it was no worse.
ReplyDeleteAnd very pleased to hear that you have life-giving healing rain this weekend.
That's a lot of damage. We get similar here on our roads but with kangaroos. Glad you are all okay.
ReplyDeleteHooray for rain, may it put out a lot of fires.
Oh my goodness, I never even thought of kangaroos hanging out on the roadways that way! Someday, I hope to see one - - but not in the direct path of the headlights of a car!
DeleteUgh! I am glad you are all ok after the accident. Hitting a deer is scary! I hope the rain brings the final end to the smoke!
ReplyDeleteThank you Carlee. And yes, the rain does seem to be helping with the smoke and hopefully the fires.
DeleteSo glad you are all ok! What a beautiful sky behind you...a good reminder that bad days pass and each day is starts fresh!! Take care!
ReplyDeleteIt was a beautiful sky. Montana is like that - you can see different weather sometimes in every direction in which you look. And I like the metaphor!
DeleteGood heavens! That must have been such a shock. And to lock eyes with her just before? Heartbreaking. I am sorry. The very same thing happened to friends of mine who were driving to Osoyoos for a weekend getaway. When they returned home on Sunday night their 8 year-old daughter asked if they could go back to check on the deer.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes to the rain! It is such a treat to be able to see the mountains again and to no longer smell smoke.
It was heartbreaking Kelly - I am not a hunter, and my heart is terribly tender for all animals. Statistically, the probability of hitting a deer is high here, but I wish we had managed to continue to defy the odds!
DeleteGlad to know that you can once again see your beautiful mountains as well!
Really glad you escaped relatively unscathed from the crash - shame about the car and the poor deer. We have hit kangaroos a few times (my husband hit one with his motorbike and it was a miracle he walked away from it). You can be as careful as possible but there is always something to surprise us - good driving skills can make all the difference though! ~ Leanne
ReplyDeleteI am glad to hear your husband was alright Leanne. My impression of a kangaroo is that they can be quite large and heavy? The car damage is an inconvenience - injuries would have been a much worse outcome.
DeleteOh. My. Goodness. Scary! So glad you are all right! And that any damage can be repaired. I'm also glad to see that you can find the bright spot in the situation. It's a gift!
ReplyDeleteP.S. I mentioned deer in today's post as well. We must be connected! :)
I really do just feel very lucky Diane. And when I see how much damage a deer did - so thankful that it was not an elk or moose that we collided with!!
DeleteA busy weekend has kept me from my computer - but I am headed to your post now. And yes - I do feel a connection with you :)
Oh my goodness - so glad you were all okay! This looks exactly like the damage to George's truck last year when they hit a deer. We had rain all weekend too - and even though I would rather see the sun, I'm also hopeful that it helped with the wildfires.
ReplyDeleteThe tow truck guy recognized what caused the accident without me even telling him. Pretty classic damage from a deer, I think. Amazing how expensive it is to fix! Hope your sun is out today. It is beautiful but windy right now here.
DeleteA collision like that is so frightening, I can understand why it got you thinking. And you are very lucky, I've heard of so many other car/deer collisions that went a lot worse. Glad you're OK.
ReplyDeleteWe were very fortunate Karen. We have been beating the odds of hitting a deer for a while now - it is a high probability on the roads we travel. Having just the car damaged with no other injuries or passersby affected was the best-case scenario.
DeleteSo glad to read you and your loved ones were safe after the accident. I hate that you have that vision of the sweet dear in your memory. I hit a pup once and will never forget it. She did bound out from under my car and down the road but I am not sure what happened to her beyond that. How right you are that we are never really in control of our lives. XO
ReplyDeleteHopefully yours was a glancing blow, and the pup was fine. Sometimes hitting an animal - while sad - is just unavoidable.
DeleteDeer accidents are so scary, it all happens in a split second. I had one come through my windshield and it was terrifying. I'm so glad everyone is okay. I also hope that the fires are gone it's been a horrible year for them.
ReplyDelete