Don’t Make Eye Contact!

“Don‘t make eye contact” she screamed!

It was a chilly, cloudy, ominous sort of day on the prairies. We thought we would venture out, going for a long drive way back into the park. The road is long lined with aspen and birch trees, casting shadows onto the dirt. We double check that the gas tank is full, learning from past mistakes. The journey will be exciting, with high hopes of spotting various wildlife!

Deer, many many deer. Cute little ones still with spots, so cute. One of them runs to the edge of the bush, it’s little behind trembling and sticking out at us as the baby thinks it is unseeable, too cute. We drive on.

Beautiful birds. I love the little yellow ones, they remind me of my grandfather, he loved watching the little yellow birds. I talk to them as they are grandpa, greeting them with a hello and a smile, anticipating an answer but it doesn’t come. I brush away a tear.

A giant hawk circles above us, searching for it’s next meal. We watch as it pivots and dives with the greatest precision. How does it fly through the thick trees, never catching a wing…amazing. Caught! A mouse is in it’s talons. The cycle of animal life, one gives it’s life to feed another. We watch as it perches atop the broken tree, devouring it’s lunch with its long beak and talons.

We continue on our way eyes wide open awaiting our next animal siting. Flat furry bottommed elk, a heard of them, peacefully grazing on the other side of the small body of water. They look our direction but thankfully the wind is to our advantage. So peaceful. Eventually we drive on past…

Oh my goodness, is that a coyote? The body looks too large, legs too long. Quick, snap a picture. Gone, as quickly as it appeared, as if it was never really there…but we do have a picture. We will save that for the park to analyze.

We bumble along, dust flowing from behind our vehicle. The sun is peaking through the clouds again. If it gets too hot the animals retreat back into the bush.

Berry bushes, overflowing with abundance. Could there be bears around? They are tough to spot, except for their scat. Everywhere. Not getting out for our hike here!

It’s perfect. Pull over. We see this path that looks like an animal trail. We decide adventure time continues, on foot. Up, down, around the bends, wow, a beautiful body of water. It’s as if no human has been here before. I take my shoes off and wade In up to my knees. The water is cool and refreshing. My feet needed this. I stop and admire my surroundings.

”Snort”! We look at each other, assuming we are still alone. “Snort, stomping”! Oh my gosh…we are not alone! We turn to see a bull moose with huge antlers, steamy breathe eminating from its nostrils, eyes casting a piercing glaring stare, pretty sure it wants to kill us!

”Don’t make contact”, I have a vague memory of someone, somewhere, telling me this. Is scream it at my husband. We are frozen in place. The moose taking steps toward us, slowly, methodically, stomping it’s hoof each time it moves. What next. It can kill us, we know! We avoid eye contact, standing still as statues. Will it work? We can almost feel it’s warm breathe as it towers so much taller than us. Mucus running from its nostrils. Do we make a run for it? Our instincts tell us no. We stand our ground, statues, barely able to breathe. Here he comes. Stepping, stomping. My god, he charges. His rack penetrates my husbands chest, tossing him aside like a rag doll. I’m next. I run, not fast enough, I feel it, I’m down. He has won.

A year has passed. I have buried my husband. I am re-learning to walk. What had started off, one year ago, as our simple adventure is now a living nightmare and difficult to process. My girls are constantly by my side but I so crave my independence….will it ever be back.

I see the little yellow birds gather outside my window. Grandpa and my husband, hoping they are together on the other side. I sit back in my chair, hot cup of tea in hand…remembering that fateful day…”don’t make eye contact”…