Road Kill

For a woman that now wants to live in the country, I am awfully sqeamish. I have only just realisted this, due to a fairly nasty experience yesterday, and I wasnt even the victim.

To set the scene, I am driving along, doing less than the speed limit, one kid asleep in the back, the other keenly admiring the view. I see a pheasant by the side of the road. It starts walking out into the road. I brake, but realise if I brake any harder then the car behind me is going to be reading my dashboard. Poor pheasant is history. Parts of it fly over the bonnet, some parts are lobbed over into the oncoming traffic.

"Uh Oh Mummy" says the boy from the back. Tell him no problem, my voice must have been a little shaky as he tells me "me happy". I cannot respond, feel physically sick. He falls asleep soon after. I am driving, but am crawling along in the slow lane. Start to get back to my senses and realise that the bonnet has a few feathers left on it. Ring up hubby, agree to meet at duck pond close to our house, so he can check out the front of the car and clean it off. Love him, he arrives soon after with cleaning supplies and starts to check out the front of the car. Luckily no bits of bird remain. He can see the impact point, and dusts it off.

Kids both asleep in the car at this stage, so we chat for a bit then I decide as I am less shaky, time to buy the fruit and veg for the weekend. Fruit and veg shop is the other side of the duck pond. Park up in front, leaving kids in the car. Fill up the basket and head to the checkout, am gobsmacked to find a leaflet placed at the counter advertising wild game, delivered to your door. Pay quickly, dont even stop to put the bags in the back, head home as fast as possible.

Sorry pheasant. You are my first ever roadkill and I hope its the last. Very sorry indeed. As penance, I will take you off my Christmas shopping list.