And with wine. Or perhaps a beer or two. I went on my first run of the season. And yeah, I say run, you say jog, potato – potahto – what’s the difference? Point is, I was out, doing this run-type thing. So I live in this suburb with lots of running/walking/biking trails for the people to use that are pretty wooded as they wind through roads and neighborhoods and around lakes and stuff. Really kind of nice,

So I am running through this trail, and it is at the end of my run and I am tired. Man I am so tired and ready to quit. So I am literally looking down at my feet willing them to keep moving with me, take 4 more steps, now 4 more. Begging my chest not to explode. So as I am watching my feet I pick up this brown movement towards me – in my peripheral vision. My heart stopped. Literally. I look up thinking it was a falling branch or some crazed hiker (oh stranger alert!) threw a log at me. I have no idea. I can’t think I am winded and this brown thing was coming at me. So I spin trying to figure it out and I see 3 deer lazily eating some grass on my other side and watching me. I am stunned – it was a deer that jumped over the trail not 2 feet in front of me. I’m pretty sure he (she?) was as shocked as me.

When I’ve finally caught my breath from the scare – not the run – I start up again. But I am scared. I don’t want anymore deer trying to attack me while I run. So I start clapping. I figure my clapping will keep the deer at bay. Very menacing and scary. (Why, yes, I did watch The Parent Trap growing up, hello Vicki!)

So yeah, running again.