Caution. Some images may be graphic.
We get a nice comfy place in Missoula, Montana for the night and grab the road atlas to see how we want to proceed in the morning. Option #1: Straight shot north on US 93 past Flathead Lake (as in Flathead Indians), through Kalispell, to the town of West Glacier. Option #2: Jog to the right and take Montana 83 through Evergreen and Hungry Horse to West Glacier. If you get to the campgrounds too early most campers will still be packing up to leave and we'll just have to sit around waiting. We opt for the longer route through Hungry Horse.
It's really a beautiful drive. Good road, even if it is a State Highway rather than a U.S. Highway. We pass a couple of critters by the side of the road.
Then we come to a sign that says, "Deer Crossing Next 56 Miles." Well, now. We see these kinds of signs all the time - but FIFTY-SIX MILES!?! Yeah, sure.
So, Granpa is rolling along about 60 mph, and in the space of less than two seconds I see a deer streaking toward the edge of the highway like lightening. I barely can say, "We're gonna hit..." before WHAM! and I do mean WHAM!!
Yes, folks, that's exactly what it looks like all over the side of our car - blood, guts, and gore...
and a little poo just for good measure.
Bada-boom, bada-bing! Busted our wheel cover, blew up the headlight, mangled the front bumper, fender, door and hood. $4,000 + just like that. In the blink of an eye. Bummer.
Granpa took a pocket knife and cut the mutilated front bumper off - it was just plastic. Then he took some twine and put a sling around what was left and looped it to the radiator. Then some passing locals pitched in and changed the tire while I scurried around and played insurance adjuster (The more pictures the happier the insurance company is.)
I'd say that's proof positive...
I call 9-1-1 and TEXAS Highway Patrol answers. ???? I call again. Same thing. Must be linked to my iPhone area code. I go to the little diner across the road and find a local number. "Mmm-hmmm. Yes. Mmmm. Okay. Go into Kallispell, find the police station, get a 'white form,' fill it in and send it to us. No, no need to wait for us. Happens all the time on this stretch of the highway. If YOU aren't injured, just mail it in."
We make it to Kalispell, find the Toyota dealership, they sign us up, loan us a car to go get some brunch (breakfast/lunch scrunched together like a car accident = brunch), and to find the local police department. What's kinda funny is that no one at the restaurant knows where the police station is. It's a small town for goodness sake! We have to get iPhone GPS to find it for us!!
Our plan is to get a new tire and the front end aligned and then head for Texas to have the body work done by folks we can follow up with more easily. Guess where we end up spending the night? Right back in Missoula! Bummer. Bummer. Bummer. But Granpa and I were not hurt in the slightest and the car will be fine. Very sorry about the deer, though. Bummer.
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