This is common knowledge, right? If you're participating in the script of a scary movie, you never, ever, ever go into an attic alone after the sun has gone down. You never, ever, ever drive through the country with your special someone. Then again, maybe you do. I wasn't in a scary movie, but something did go bump...on my windshield.
I was driving a group of travelers back from the Austin airport the other night. Due to construction on the interstate, I was taking a route through the country. There was hardly any traffic on the road with me. It was dark. I should have known something would happen. And of course, it did.
I actually saw it coming. But in a 43 foot bus going 65 miles per hour, it's hard to do much evasive maneuvering, especially when you're curiously confused as to what this white object tumbling toward you just might be.
I got a real close look a moment later. Wings, feathers, and forward facing eyes. I'm certain it was a bird and almost certain it was an owl. Its size is what really surprised me. This thing was at least a foot long, probably closer to 18 inches. "Bump" maybe is the wrong sound. Perhaps "thunk-whack" is closer to what actually happened. There was no cloud of blood and feathers, so I'm not sure if the owl was killed or not. And I didn't bother to stop and find out. Haven't you ever seen a scary movie? Bad things happen when a bus full of elderly people stops on the side of a dark country road!
I checked the bus once we got back to San Marcos. There was no damage and no evidence of anything fowl. I was relieved because I really didn't want to clean up that kind of mess. It was bad enough experiencing a bit of whiplash.
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