Tuesday, January 29, 2008

(Does That Make Me Crazy?)

I like to run over dead squirrells in the road.
There. I've said it.
(Does that make me crazy?)

When I see a dead one in the road (not live ones, mind you) and I don't have to move into oncoming traffic, I just run over it.

I wouldn't run over big animals. Dogs or cats or beavers or skunks. Well, unless Sarah S was in the car with me, and then I would hit a dead skunk because she likes the smell.
(Does that make her crazy?)

And snakes. Oh, I LOVE to run over snakes, dead or alive. I feel like I am doing the world a favor. I live by the motto, "The only good snake, is a dead snake!" (apologies to Ryan N)

When we lived outside the city limits of Austin, I was driving my little VW bug home from work one night and saw a huge rattler stretched out in the road in front of our house. I took dead aim. When I looked in my rear view mirror, it had coiled up. So I backed up and hit it again. He kept moving, so I kept trying to squash it. Then my dog, Gus came running out (pre leash law era) and I was afraid he would get too close, so I pulled in the driveway and took Gus inside.

I called a neighbor to please get his gun and shoot the snake. When he got to the middle of the road, there was a greasy spot but the snake was gone. I just had to assume that I had harmed it enough to not do too much damage.

Maybe in some way, I'm not running over cute little dead squirrells, I'm just still trying to kill that beast of a rattlesnake.

I've been thinking about what I will do when I see an alligator in the road. What if he bites my tires and there I am stuck on top of an alligator with a flat? It's illegal to shoot 'em. I already checked.

No, for now just dead squirrells and snakes, and sticks that look like snakes.

But me?

Drive over an alligator?

Are you crazy?

5 comments:

Kristi said...

Oooohhh, I love the smell of skunks too!!

Amberly said...

Living on a ranch in West Texas, my sister quickly learned how to run over snakes & kill them. You have to time it just right to where you slam your brakes & skid over the snake. That way you don't just roll over it, since apparently they can survive being driven over. But, not if you smoosh them by flattening them. Make sense? I've never tried it, but if I have the chance, you better believe I'll be doing it!!

Stephanie said...

This is all very interesting. I didn't know snakes were that hard to kill with a car. I'm normally one that does anything I can not to run over dead squirrels. I didn't know people like you were out there! :)

Dara said...

I am thankful for people like you! I am not a fan of any animal from the rodent family and snakes are just plain scarey! Unfortunately, I just can't handle running over things with my car (at least not on purpose). I just get ill thinking I might have hit something. So, I am very glad you enjoy it, and you help to rid this world of these creatures! Thank you! I am sure I owe you some sort of fee for your services!

Anonymous said...

skidding...hmmmmm, I'll have to practice!

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