The weather was still nice when I got home from work last night and so I decided to go for a short 4 mile run in Rock Creek Park. I was listening to The Splendid Table on my ipod while quietly cursing the bike commuters and their head lamps. It reminded me of being in my tiny Chevy prism trying to see past the high beams of the blazing SUVs on the road. Although, I have more respect for the person using their bike on a wintry night than the moron (assmoneky, douchebag) who drives an SUV with the high beams on. But I digress.
So while my eyes readjusted to the dark I sensed something move in the bushes up ahead. Instantly, I clenched my fist and was ready to kick some ass if needed. Was this possibly my chance to put my hypothetical musings in action?
There is no point in building suspense given the title of this post and the picture. I was “greeted” by two deer who were quietly grazing (I think). They were so close that I could have touched them. I was slightly panicked given their size and their proximity. I had never planned for such an encounter. What do I do? Would I rather have it be a hobo or a lunatic!?
All sorts of thoughts were going through my head. I was scared and picked up my pace trying to get outta there as quietly as possible! It worked. The deer minded their own business and let me be. I realized that this was a first for me, but probably not for them.
Once I was back home, I was actually glad to have been through this little ordeal. I don’t think it will deter me from running in the evenings again. If anything, I think I want to do it again. But before I do, perhaps I should muse about what I should do when good deer go bad.
Any ideas?
What is wrong with you? Why are you scared of Bambi and Rudolph?
What if Bambi is out for revenge?
Uhh… I don’t know about this… I think I would just admire them from a distance. But should you have to encounter them again and should they be unfriendly, giving them a scary look and screaming at them might work. I don’t have any research to back that up but it is the first thing that came to mind.
No deers in Chicago, gigi?
I have not seen a deer in Chicago yet. But I have seen horses and they were very peaceful, so I did not have to test my theory about looking scary and screaming. However, I would still suggest the ‘admiration from a distance’ approach before anything else. =)