One thing I did not anticipate, by a long shot, was all the roadkill my new location has to offer. I know, I know, there is roadkill in the city too. Let me offer this equation: animal population density + average car speed = bunches.
I am fairly certain I have seen every possum internal organ at least once now. I'm just grateful that all these viewings took place at about 50 miles per hour.
While I assume that adult possums were the original inspiration for R.O.U.S. (Rodents of unusual size? I don't think they exist.) the baby ones are actually pretty cute, and I hate it when something cute dies...(this makes all those wonderful nature documentaries a mixed bag of awe and suffering).
Sadly, I have also been able to identify a least two dogs, a few house cats, a raccoon or two, a handful of bunnies and of course, squirrels. I feel like there was some sort of bird in there too, odd.* I know I definitely had a bat collide with my windshield one night, which I'm told is impossible? Maybe he was sick and is sonar was whacked out? I haven't happened upon any squished box turtles yet but have swerved around at least a dozen cautiously making their way across the two lane. I always root for them to make it safely across, out loud.
The most extreme roadkill experience I remember is seeing a dog gnawing on the leg of a deer that had already been lying by the road for at least 6 days. wow. I fear that vision will never leave me.
While both the sight and smell of the smear is unpleasant it's what happens in my mind that is the hardest to endure. When I see a poor squashed little friend I instantly have a rush of being the animal and experiencing it's particular death. Its not a conscious conjuring of the moment, just something my brain instantaneously produces. I usually get chills and shutter, sometimes I even feel pain. I think this is a pretty good argument for why I will never be nurse. My brain is just to empathetic for gore.
Despite all the other wonderful things about my rural exsistance this is one I doubt I will ever get used to.
*animals I have observed, not killed.
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