Napping boys: Noah and Fred
I was talking with a friend several weeks ago about how to avoid animals in the road. It seems the groundhogs, chipmunks and squirrels are out in force this spring and it is my highest intention to avoid them. I was also telling her that when I see something up ahead in the road, (either looking like it wants to dart out or running back and forth), I start saying out loud to it, “Make a better choice”, hoping that it picks up on my mental signal. Then she shared with me her technique: she beeps the car horn at them. She confessed that sometimes she felt a bit foolish doing this, but that it really worked.
Well, I have been trying it since she told me, and I am very happy to report that it really does work….much quicker than the mental-telepathy bit. Even when I see an animal way up ahead, I start beeping and it is the perfect thing to get the critter to move quickly out of the road.
It’s interesting to me that I had a similar uncomfortable feeling, (as my friend’s), when I started beeping at animals. I felt self-conscious, like the drivers around me might think, “What is she doing? Honking at no one?” and even without another car around, I had a sense that some faceless, “adult” person was going to say, “OK, that’s enough Mary. Don’t go crazy here.” To get over this, I began beeping as soon as I saw an animal in or near the road (no matter how far away they were) and made a game of it.
I confess that I mostly encounter animals in the road, on back roads (without many or any cars around), but I am no longer afraid of that “stepping out of line” and looking like a foolish driver/person feeling, because this little game is saving lives, and making warm weather driving much more enjoyable.
It is utterly false and cruelly arbitrary to put all the play and learning into childhood, all the work into middle age, and all the regrets into old age. Margaret Mead
I wouldn’t want any ones pet to be hit. I am pretty careful about that. I don’t care what people think if I honk for a pet. They probably shouldn’t hog my bumper either as I will stop for a cat or dog. Deer are what we have to be careful of as they are plentiful and cause accidents.
Hi Mary,
I recently learned that if you see one deer by the side of the road, start honking because there are probably more deer nearby that you don’t see; and it does warn them to stay away from the road.
You are doing a good thing.
Thank you.
Love & Light,
Valerie
That’s so true Valerie, I always keep an eye out for creatures near the road. Once a deer ran in front of me and I slowed down, almost hit it and another deer ran behind it and slammed into my car. It got up and ran into the trees but I worried about that poor deer for days . . . was it hurt, suffering? Oh me. That taught me to always be on the look out for the next one coming along behind.
It is a heart wrenching experience to hit a critter in the road. It happens so fast – an animal suddenly appears in the road – or maybe the animal is confused and doesn’t know which way to go – or perhaps it is running away from something else. Or, it is a bird that is swooping low to the road…..
Last night on our way home from a show we just missed colliding with a deer at twilight. My daughter was driving the van and slowed down just in time – there was another deer on the on the other side of the road as well. She stared flashing the lights and they took off in opposite directions.
I was surprised by how quickly they responded to the flashing light technique!
Having hit a deer many many years ago (I still remember the exact date in 1981!), I am ever watchful…and have been known to beep at stumps, rocks, or other things up ahead on the side of the road, that for a split second, look like an animal getting ready to cross the road! Or, I will say ‘hurry, hurry’ or ‘go back, go back’ if one is seemingly paralyzed in the middle of the road…and at night, oh my! I am forever slowing down for what often turn out to be shadows! But better safe than sorry on these summer nights in the mountains! Safe driving everyone!
I love your message, Mary…for me as well as for the roadside critters…”when I see something up ahead in the road, I start saying out loud, ‘make a better choice’…” great life advice…Much love…
Ah, the “make a better choice” – something we an do for ourselves – The Course in Miracles says – “Choose again.” Remind the animals and ourselves of this.
Good work for getting that bit of information out there! It does work and I am constantly telling people. Pound on that old horn, and you cannot start soon enough-Love it!
Good Morning
I also try to keep the animals safe, If I see an animal in the road and is is in a curve, over a hilll or I know it wold be hard to see and I meet an oncomming car, I will flash my lights, which usuall slows down rhe car, as that signal means something up ahead ( i was also a former truck driver:)
I, too, have found that flashing my lights does a really good job. Sometimes it even makes the idiots who are speeding toward me think there’s a cop up ahead! I get REAL pleasure out of that. : )
Such wonderful comments and support for keeping all the critters safe! I usually send a lightening-bolt kind of telepathic message “Stop!!” along with either yelling out the window “Be careful honey….stay back!” (talk about reactions from people!), to honking to slowing down and then of course the constant looking in the rear view mirror to make sure they did stay back and/or decided to run back into the brush. If I was a squirrel, I’d appreciate the kindness and concern, especially this time of year when many times it’s a mom or dad with little ones in tow.
Thank you for the great idea Mary. I’ve hit a few animals in my life & it breaks my heart. Hopefully the honking saves them. It can’t hurt.I think still saying your
words out loud is a good thing too.Extra safety. I always feel sad when I see dead animals on the road. I read some where that when this lady sees them that she blesses them. Nice thing to do. I always feel they should have a decent burial.
Glad as we get older we DON’T care what other’s think. Never should of but better late than never. Remember the old bumper sticker’s “Honk if you’re Horny”
We’ll make some man think we made his day. Too funny! Keep up your GREAT words & honking! Love you.
You post the absolutely best quotes I’ve ever seen. Thank you for finding such wonderful ones. Have a great day everyone. I’m still paying attention to the little things:)
I tell everyone I know to honk at animals because they react to sound. They cannot perceive the vehicle coming at them – especially an night – the head lights just appear. We know what is happening – but they did not evolve with all these man made things and have no clue. Flocks of sea birds will land on a parking lot because it looks like water – and then cannot take off becuase their legs are not made to stand. We have made so many things that are not natural, so animals have no experience with them or learned behaviors to deal with them. They are at a huge disadvantage. Thank you for posting this – more people need to do it.
Another plus in giving a preemptive honk – maybe it also alerts someone tailing us too close, that there’s something up ahead and we may be breaking soon or suddenly. Noah and Fred snuggling is just so sweet! Can almost hear the contented purring. . .
What a profound statement by Margaret Mead. How true and how thought provoking, Mary. The part about the learning in younger age we can do something about throughout our lives but it is the regrets in older age that are sometimes hard to forget. A life lived without regrets, however, would not be a life lived. Only part of human nature, I think. Yesterday, leaving early (5 a.m.) for a dog show some distance away, I was very aware that deer run through at that time of the day across country roads. They don’t respond to horns. There are devices you can put on your car though, I don’t know if they work. A cyber friend & Aussie breeder in Indiana recently had a run in with a deer and the damage, we pray, will not be permanent. She is paralyzed at the moment and in hospital; she’s a nurse as well, so very aware of her condition and the possible outcome.
SandyP in Canada
I ask the Universe to keep all living beings safe from moving vehicles when I am driving. If I see a critter, I yell to “look out” and often they run the correct way. And I beep when necessary – no hesitation. I don’t care what anyone thinks. There is no way I am going to hit a sweet little critter if it can be helped.
Your boys are so sweet snuggled up together!
Love this!
Let’s never stop playing and learning! Nothing feels as good as a good belly laugh. Except a bout of uncontrollable giggling!