The sign came whipping by very fast. I was driving at highway speed and was the only one in the car to see it. Twenty miles later I was prepared and stopped and took a picture of it. I don't think I had ever seen it before. I have seen deer crossing signs. I have even seen them for moose, bighorn sheep and elk. This was a new sign for me.
I admit, I gripped the steering wheel more than usual. My eyes scanned the underbrush for movement. We came out of the twenty miles unscathed. My hands throbbed as I tried to get the blood flowing through them again. I did not see a carcass on the road. I was relieved.
We drove over 2,000 miles on vacation. We frequently saw deer near the roads. Some right in the middle of the city. I saw a racoon waddling down the shoulder of the highway. A fox ran across the highway right in front of me. We did not make contact with any of the fauna. We have had impacts with animals in the past: deer, hogs, dogs and a racoon. Not only does it make me really sad, each incident was filled with loads of adenaline.
Life comes with a warning. There is danger ahead. It is not going to be easy. There is going to be trouble. You don't know when or where it is going to come from so you have to keep scanning ahead. It's just that I don't want to be living with such a tight grip on the wheel. I don't want to live in fear. I want to be careful enough, but more carefree.
We hiked to the highpoint of Connecticut. It started to rain, not a gentle drizzle, but a drenching deluge. The trail filled with water and became a stream. I happily stomped through the water. The sound of the rain was all around us and the forest was beautiful as it was washed from above. The rocks were slippery and the decent tricky, but I was joyful in the journey.
We were walking down a path and I looked at Logan's shoe. There was a green snake flailing beneath his heel. We all stopped and watched the bright green against the dark black asphalt. The snake disappeared quickly into the grass. I really don't like snakes, but it was beautiful.
Take a risk. Get wet. Go somewhere off the beaten path. Don't play it safe. Don't live with so much fear. "Do not fear, for I am with you" Is 41:10.