Nearly Another Possum Incident

In early April on an uncharacteristically warm day, when, remarkably, 5 of us were able to get together, Matt and I rode North to meet Jen, Vicky and Denise for a ride in PA.  It was a lovely ride and a beautiful day.  We took some winding tree-lined roads to nowhere in particular stopping for gas, deciding where to go for dinner...  It was a great day to shake the cobwebs off and start the season.

We weren't the only ones shaking off the cobwebs.  We got to see some critters also stretching their legs in the sunshine because, well, back roads in the country come, of course, with wildlife.  It's nice to see the domestics behind their fences (ok, usually behind their fences), a random grey squirrel running along a powerline, a deer or two off the road munching some greens...

The problem, of course, is that we've built roads in the middle of critter habitat setting the scene for the occasional intersection of a fast moving ton of metal and slow(er) moving soft, fleshy beast.  You know that never goes well...

So, it was no surprise to see a splot-o squirrel, those dark patches of road that are blood stains from something the crows have already carried away, a deer on the side of the road with a swarm of flies making themselves comfy, or a groundhog splayed out in your lane of travel.  Unless, as you make your lazy swerve to avoid the chubby ex-groundhog, the bugger stands up from sunning himself, belly pressed against warm asphalt, and shuffles off to the brush at the side of the road.  Now, THAT'll get your attention.

So, the lesson du jour was: all road kill ain't dead.  And so, for the rest of the ride I sang one of my recurrent biking tunes.  Do you know it?

Road kill, road kill,
Picking up road kill.
Walk into the middle of the road and then stand still.
Too dumb or maybe just a little slow getting to the other side....

I know, that doesn't do it justice.  Here's a link to the song by Milo Tremley.  Worth listening to for a chuckle.

http://tinyurl.com/36k6n6s