It was one of the last weekend’s of the summer, and we were driving through the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont. Earlier, we had dinner with old friends we hadn’t seen in person since before the pandemic. It was a nice evening. And there was a hint of Fall in the air as we drove up through the mountains in a cold rain.
The night seem darker than usual beyond the glaring beams of our headlights. We crossed over the peak and headed downhill into Wardsboro. I was driving, and talking to my wife, when suddenly, a giant white flash burst from the tree canopy in front of us and almost crashed through the windshield! It all happens in a nanosecond.
It was an owl! Somehow, I managed to hit the breaks and swerve a bit but to try to avoid hitting the owl. The owl swerved too and together it was enough to avoid a crash.
Then it was gone. It must have been diving down on a mouse of something crossing the road and not see our car coming.
We continued on the road, looking through the cone of our bright headlights with the glittering raindrops falling amidst the blackness. Almost as a shadow, I saw a deer standing on the side of the road. The only witness to this near fatal encounter.
We drove the rest of the way uneventfully and stayed the evening at a bed and breakfast.
I will be forever grateful I didn’t hurt that owl.
copyright 2021 Christopher Donahue