Pages

Thursday, July 9, 2009

mornings in the bush

I was out for a lovely run this morning. Out while the sun came up as the cool morning air caressed the skin. Much better than those dark mornings of winter that try to freeze the face off and form ice on the eyelashes - although there is some sick fun in that too.

So there I was, loping along on a dirt trail through some undeveloped land. This area was discovered to be a habitat to the precious jumping preble mouse, and there is ongoing debate as to whether these rodents... er... precious jumping preble mice are endangered or not. In the meantime, no development is allowed there.

I don't have any particular affinity for the preble mouse, but I am grateful for the debate they've stirred up as it keeps my stretch of running boonies in its state of boonyness.

So as I'm basking, I hear some thrashing about in the foliage to my left. There are other trails in this preble mouseville, and I had seem some runners/dog walkers bobbing about.

I look to my left and see a couple of dogs... no wait... these are HUGE dogs... no wait... these are two big DEER! Two deer trotting single file towards me, headed for the road on my right.

So I slow up as to let them have the right-of-way. I wasn't too worried about them crossing the road as there wasn't much traffic out yet, and visibility was ample enough for drivers to plainly see the deer.

I let them cross in front of me. They made it across the east bound lanes without incident and were in the median ready to cross the west bound lanes when some traffic went whizzing by. This caused the deer in front to, thankfully, stop its forward progress but caused the deer behind to, not so thankfully, bolt.

Bolt and do a 180 back toward the direction from whence it came. Bolt and do a 180 right back to me, standing there like the proverbial deer in the headlights. How ironic is that?!?

And I swear, it was looking me right in the eye the whole time, and speaking to me. This is what it said. "Get out of my freakin' way! I'm a crazed deer, and I WILL take you DOWN!" And this was not Bambi. It didn't look a thing like Bambi. This deer was huge. A lot of steaks and sausage there.

Okay, captivating bonding moment with nature was then OVER! I quickly became a runner once again. Not in my usual relaxed stride, but more in resemblence to Captain Jack Sparrow when he was running away from the cannibals.

By the time I looked back, the deer were no longer in sight. I was secure in the knowledge that neither had ended up as roadkill, and thankful that I hadn't ended up a big trampled salt-lick.

Those preble mice. They know how to party.
.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

You might have been the frist person in 100 years to be trampled by a deer if this woul dhave turned out differently.

terri said...

That's so amazing that you had such a close encounter with a couple of deer. I'm lucky to catch a glimpse from the car window now and then! So glad you weren't trampled either!

Elizabeth said...

I'm sure the adrenaline was great for your heart! Glad you weren't a drive-by-deering causality!

Judy said...

Deer are not our friends around here - they destroy the west side of our town and will CHASE CARS. Not lovin' deer!

Except in sausage...

michelle said...

Well I was going to say what a wonderful way to start your day with nature but it sounds more like a harried escape! I am glad you (and the deer) got out unharmed!

Herb said...

They ouoght to take all the feral cats and stick 'em by all the stupid mouse holes. Prebles jumping MOUSE. It's a MOUSE. The deer in our neighborhood eat the neighbor's roses.

tracey (aka rainbowmummy) said...

oh my goodness, I would have freaked out. dont run it's clearly dangerous ;)

Goes by the name of Anna said...

This somewhat resembles a very embarrassing incident from my younger years, although mine involved a cow, not a deer...

brandy101 said...

holy cr*p - I am glad you got out of there safely. Deer can be pretty scary - especially since they sort of do things in panic mode all too often.