Close Encounters

Had a helluva great weekend in Colorado, and one of those "but for the grace of god" drives home.

My Py finished his FCh on Friday with a BOB (for those that don't follow doggie terminology, just say "ooh, ahh"), had a great meal with fine friends for dinner, got some box training done on Saturday, dogs ran on Sunday and came back sound - yeah, and was on the road home before 6 p.m. One of my very favorite dogs, Vger, finished his FC on Sunday (congratulations Sandra!) so I was in a grand mood for the 364 mile drive home.

After stopping in Trinidad for to feed the dogs, get gas, and grab some drive-through for myself, I started up Raton Pass at about 8:30 p.m. My van, a 1992 Ford E-150, V-8 conversion van, does NOT go uphill very fast. In point of fact, it doesn't do much fast, but it has been incredibly reliable. It has 280,000 miles on it and runs like a top (knock wood); it's the ultimate dogmobile and I'm thrilled it runs at all. Raton Pass is ALL uphill, it's best to be patient in the best of weather.

So once the van had slowed itself to about 50 MPH I moved to the truck lane to the right. A few seconds later, maybe 50 yards after changing lanes, I saw something in the left lane. My foot was off the gas before my brain figured out it was a mule deer, and before I could get the brake all the way down I was passing her. She stood stock-still, I could count her eyelashes as I went by. At this point the van was down to about 30 MPH and I had a lot of mountain left to climb. As I put on the hazard flashers, I had ample opportunity to reflect upon my great fortune that I had just changed lanes and she hadn't lept in front of me. I did wonder if anyone behind me was unlucky in either regard...

Over the years I've done a lot of hiking in the mountains and seen everything from rare snakes to black bears; but this was the closest I've ever been to charismatic megafauna, and I have no interest in repeating the experience in a moving vehicle.

Just before midnight I was nearly home and saw more wildlife, these getting off the road at my approach. The jackrabbits this year are BIG, hoo boy, can't wait...