Today was an interesting day to say the least. On my way to Batteries Plus to get a battery for my video camera, I have some fun ideas for you all, I had an interesting encounter with some folks on the side of hwy 217. Traffic was dreadful and unpredictable and the weather wasn’t helping either, as it couldn’t seem to make up its mind to drizzle or frost on us unsuspecting travelers. As I moseyed down the road with the puppies in the back of my truck there was a sudden cease in traffic flow. The car in front of me, a small white car, slammed on its breaks and in order to not smash them into tiny bits I hit my breaks and angled for the shoulder of the road which was quite wide and clear. As I look in my review mirror to see if the pups had mashed their faces on the window with the abrupt change in motion I see a movie scene play out in miniature. From one side of the mirror to the other fly a white box looking SUV that looks to be pooping out a midsized grayish bronze car. By jiminy! Since I am already on the shoulder I stop my car and put on the park break and hazard lights before getting out to lend my assistance. The gray-bronze car has come to rest about where I was before stopping my truck only it is in the grass facing the wrong way. Totaled. The SUV is an additional 20 feet further up the incline sitting comfortably in some bushes. The man in the car opens his door as I come along side him. “Are you ok?” he looks a little dazed but ok. The airbags went off but he isn’t visibly bloodied. “Do you want me to call an ambulance?” I already have my phone out. He indicates yes and motions towards the other car so I jump into the bushes and head for the driver’s door. It opens a little but the bushes are in the way and the woman closes the door and crawls to the other side. I get out of the bushes and go around to see if she is ok. “Is there anyone else in the car?” She responds with a very shaky “My baby!” Her car is without a scratch and no airbags deployed. Her three year old boy is just scared. This whole time I am talking to 911, which you would think might be less time consuming but I suppose it just felt like eons. They send help and two other people stop their cars at this point but only stand with us for a short bit before leaving. The man is still dazed and I ask him a few times if he would like to sit down. He says he has too much adrenaline. Soon an ambulance and fire truck arrive followed by a police car. It is freezing outside. The fire truck blocks traffic as the firemen set out flares. The paramedics walk to us since none of us seem to be having hysterics. One paramedic checks with the woman and child while the other asks the man a few questions and prods him about the neck and chest looking for pain. The woman has only mild neck pain and refuses to go in the ambulance but the man has marks on his shins, one is bleeding, and has chest pains likely caused by the seat belt. He mentions blacking out for a second when his face hit the airbag. To be safe he goes in the ambulance as the police ask questions and the firemen try to figure out what happened. They are understandably confused since the SUV looks perfect and it is hard to imagine that it mangled the front of the car so much. It turns out that the man looked down and didn’t see the SUV as the woman over reacted to the stop in traffic by slamming on her breaks. When he hit her the momentum carried them up the embankment. It was lucky they didn’t hit the overpass. Everyone is ok. Only the car doesn’t survive. As I passed the spot later in the day only a few muddy tracks are left.

Take care folks, when I return on Monday I hope to begin my midget series called 'starting small'. It will have to do with minor survive in your house type issues; first up will be some insights on power outages. Minny shout out goes to Sandra, awesome lady, and Jean Auel, author of the Clan of the Cave Bear series. They both helped drive me to this blog whether they knew it or, more likely, not. Sandra, who would pick me to be her survival buddy should she ever be stranded on an island or in a forest or some such crap-I'm-screwed-and-have-to-live-off-the-land type situation. I promise to one day dress up all cute and girly and do a skin an animal demo just for you ;) and Jean Auel, whom I have read since I was about 12. Ayla, the main character of her 7 book series, is the most survivaly-ist character I have ever encountered in the world of reading. She is also one of my heroes. No matter how often I read through her story I love and learn all over again.