Roadkill

I was surprised to read about the number of deer-related traffic accidents; Lady Luck was smiling on Mr. Beagles.  Most accidents aren't caused by hitting the deer but by the loss of control when trying to avoid them.  I guess it's instinct to slam on the brakes or jerk the steering wheel but that will put you into the ditch before you know it.  I've been lucky in that regard and have hit an animal only once, a poor rabbit in Alabama.  It was at night and the damn thing was sitting in the middle of the road, a very rural and poorly paved piece of pavement and I wasn't going very fast, maybe forty.  I was mentally shouting "Don't move! Don't move!," thinking I would drive over it, avoiding it with the wheels.  But the rabbit wasn't psychic and didn't hear me so, at the very last moment, he decided to make a break for it.  I didn't see him move but I heard a loud thump inside the right front fender, and that was that.  There was no apparent damage, steering was fine, so I didn't stop.

Critters and traffic don't mix, a fact that us city folk tend to forget when we travel through the hinterlands, especially at night.  You're usually fine if you stick to the interstates but if you travel the state and county roads you really have to be on your toes, especially on a motorcycle.  Hitting anything, regardless of size, could prove fatal to both you and the animal.  There was one time in northern Wisconsin when I was ripping through the Chequamegon State Forest at a brisk seventy or so (it was daytime) and I saw a porcupine about a quarter mile ahead.  Quite a big animal, I thought, and hitting one of those at speed would not be a good thing so I slowed down a bit.  Testing the results of high velocity porcupine quills upon tires and the human body is something I chose not to pursue.

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I found Bottle Rocket online and started watching it but bailed out after thirty minutes or so.  I didn't recall anything from my first viewing and it didn't seem worth it to keep watching.  There are better movies out there.  I think I'll give My Dinner With Andre a try, heard it was pretty good with just a couple of guys yapping in a restaurant.  It might be interesting.

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There was a humorous little side item from the G7 summit and the French guy, Macron.  When they first met a year ago there was a big deal made about their handshake and how it went on and on, like they were trying to crush each other's hands.  Or was that Trudeau I'm thinking of?  Anyhow, after this year's summit there was a post-handshake photo showing white marks on Trump's hand from the mighty grip of Macron.  Score one for the EU as Trump finds solace in the comforting embrace of the little Kim, a smart guy, a skilled negotiator, and a great leader of his beloved people.  Even his generals are worthy of a salute from our Commander in Chief.