FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

Knockin Tail Lures by My Coast Outdoors

*************

It was cool and crisp as we finished loading the truck.  We were so excited to be off to our Yellowstone trip.  It had been a couple of years since we were there last and expectations were high.  4 full days in the Park, plenty of photography, bears, wolves, seeing our guide friend Taylor, all the things that make the park what it is.  The weather was going to get a little sketchy, no problem with the Beast Trail Edition, plus it would keep the tourons down, it was going to be epic.  But then………..

It was barely cracking daylight at 6:30 when in an instant the plan changed.  We never saw them coming.  The buck was hot on the doe and before I could do anything we smoked him.  We hit him dead smack in the grill at 65mph and he literally exploded.  Due to the force of the collision every air bag went off and the truck slammed to a halt.  The Boss said she did not even see the doe, that is how quick it happened.  As she saw the buck I yelled Oh “F'” bad word and we slammed into him.  I can tell you the impact was way more than I would have ever thought, but it was a mule deer and not a Texas whitetail the size of a German Shephard.  To say we were stunned is an understatement.  Initially it was what the hell happened?  Are you ok?

My Baby.

Folks stopped to help and we pushed it off the highway leaving a trail of parts, both the trucks and the bucks.  Both were dead right there.  When the air bags went off the Boss got her thumb twisted and I got burns on my left arm from the air bag.  Much of the dash was displaced with parts from God knows where scattered in the cab.  One thing I still do not understand is how the key in the ignition got bent over.  To say it was violent is a complete understatement.  It literally crushed the front end of the truck.  And the truck was covered in  alfalfa if you get my drift.

The Culprit.  I cropped this picture for good reason.

We called 911 and a wonderful state trooper responded along with the tow truck on call.  Of course tons of paperwork, reports etc.  We found out from him, then the tow truck driver, a neighbor, the folks at Happy Hour, (Which was not all that happy as the last place we thought we would be is back at the South Fork house.) that more stuff is hit in that area than anywhere else.  In an ironic twist where did we hit this deer?  Right next to the deer crossing sign.  Looking back on it there was a little bright side no matter what happened.

First and most important we were not hurt.  No residual whiplash today, we are so lucky as we both got a face full of air bag.  And second it happened 5 miles from the house and not somewhere way off so we had a place to go.  Third I cannot tell you how impressed we were with how the truck responded.  Full air bag deployment, the front collapsed to lesson our exposure, and the seatbelts tightened as they were supposed to.  We give the 4Runner an A+, we literally could have been killed it was that violent.  Thank God it was not an elk.  And last, when I headed back out here a couple of months ago she said why not take the new 4Runner to save miles on the Beast.  A close one.  An interesting note:  When Nancy got her Xray the doc said he saw us on the way to work, when we took our walk today the guy building the house down the street said he passed us.  It is a small community here.

But now the result of living where we do.  We finally got lucky and found a rental car at the airport.  A tiny Ford Fiesta was the only rental available in a 100 miles.  But the tow driver, big props to Ace Towing in Monte Vista, really went above and beyond, what a guy.  We road with him to the yard so he could drop off the truck so we could pick up the rental and come back and unload the truck.  Then he took us to Alamosa to the airport to pick up the car.  Who does that!

We pick up this midget car and head back to the yard and empty the truck.  Thank goodness all the stuff from the Beast fit with room to head back to the house.  Then still flat stunned, it was back to the house to ponder what in the hell just happened.  It was hard to digest so we headed to happy hour and drowned a little of the sorrow and got a little sympathy from the locals.  But back to the Beast.

I loved that truck.  It was the vehicle of my dreams.  Finally put on the fancy shocks for mountain driving, new Michelins, full drive train service, the works.  But that does not really matter as I had taken good care of that truck and it was going to be the mountain truck for the rest of its life.  It had 187,000 miles on it, was 9 years old, and ran like a top.  That Trail Edition model is no longer available, and I am going to miss her.

Monday we head to a couple of different Toyota dealerships to replace the Beast.  At least here, unlike when we were looking to buy for the Boss in Texas 2 months ago there are several available in the model I want so that is not an issue.  The insurance company told me just looking at the pictures it was a total loss.  Duh!  Unfortunately, they will never give me what it is really worth.  And nothing like having to buy a new 4Runner when I thought I was good for the rest of my life.  But life goes on and when these kinds of bumps in the road happen you just have to put on your big boy pants and get it done.

**************

That will be it for the day.  When I say we are counting our blessings I mean it.  But the big lesson learned, time for a real cow catcher, not one of those Yuppie ones for looks.  This was my 3rd really close call, it just happened this was not “close.”  We love it here but the wildlife reins supreme.  The thing that brought us here bit us. but lesson learned.  And when something like this happens it reminds you that living in the mountains is a different ball game.  But so what, it is the place of our dreams.  Back to Texas friday to fish my butt off the next couple of months.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

*************

A Senator Speaks the real Truth!

I saw a Republican Senator  (Wish I could remember his name I would send him a thank you note.) speak on what is happening with the possibility of a government shut down.   He basically said the following:  I am disgusted with our work ethic.  We never start before 103:0 in the morning, quit at noon for a 2 hour lunch, then call it a day at 4:00.  And we will get paid no matter what.  TRUTH!  Basically paraphrasing him:  The folks we represent work hard all day and we are nothing but a lazy entitled bunch of overpaid self-centered politicians working for our own benefit.  (Note: he was speaking of both parties.  They are all complicit.)

We have got to do something about the whole lot of them.  Just think about what he said when speaking the truth, the whole bunch is ripping us off.  I would love to have a job paying 175-2oo,00ok a year, lifetime retirement and health care, the ability to cash in on insider stock information, only work about 3 1/2 hours a day and still make the round of cocktail parties.   I have said it before and say it again, TIME FOR TERM LIMITS.  But hey at least we are getting our money’s worth with Colorado’s Boob-ert, a shining example for our daughters as she fondles her date in public.  No words.

************