Oh Dear, A Deer!

Last night the girls and I finished up their gymnastics classes, went to dinner at Chik-Fil-A and then stopped off at Harris Teeter for some lunch items for them.

We got back in the car and had the radio playing and we had just started listening to a new song that we all agreed was pretty good. As we continued to head north toward home we were all suddenly jolted to a crashing stop with a loud booming sound and the air bag deploying in front of me. The streets were dark and I never saw him coming. A large 6 point (or perhaps 8) deer slammed into our car. In the last moments of the impact, I could see his huge body flying toward the windshield. In the back seat, the girls were safely buckled into their seats, but I could hear them crying. I asked them if they were ok and then told them we had hit a deer. We were lucky that on this dark street no traffic was right behind us or coming toward us in the opposite direction. I was able to move the car off the road, call 911, and call John. The girls and I carefully exited the car and stood on the side of the road. The firetruck arrived and soon after so did the police. They were all terrific and so good to the girls, who were both cold and very scared. I could see the deer back down the road and he was lying on his side, obviously dead...he was big. We watched as a good ol' red neck arrived in his big truck to shovel the deer into the truck bed. Oddly, as he drove off he tooted the horn at us. I guess that's a red neck's way of saying thanks for the deer meat. I found that all a little surreal. The damage to the car all appears to be underneath the body of the car. I am assuming he hit us and then somehow got caught underneath the vehicle. The back of my car was covered in deer fur...sad. As I recall this scary event I am sooooo thankful that my girls are safe, that I'm ok, and that the circumstances didn't create a worse outcome. For now, we'll wait and see what the insurance people say about the car. If that's the worst of our situation, I feel blessed. 

(Deer photos are not of the actual deer, just one of his many relatives, I assume)