A Tale of a Snow Goose and a Windshield

Bus drivers like to outdo each other with tales of their bus bursting into flames, losing a trailer while going 65 m.p.h., backing into the side of a building, pushing a dumpster through a restaurant, or going under a bridge that was too low for their bus. You know, the usual.
(photo courtesy of Malcolm Schuyl at http://www.wildvisions.co.uk)
I don’t have any of these tales. I am an ultra cautious driver.
In fact, one driver kindly reminded me that the gas pedal could be found on the right side.
However, do you see this cute bird above?

He’s not so cute when he flies straight into your windshield on a lonely stretch of the Canadian highway in the middle of the night.

This happened on the very last night of a very long 5 week tour. I was so ready to go home.
And then the kamikaze bird came into my life and scared the living daylights out of me.

 
I pulled myself together on the side of the road while picking glass out of my hair, eyelashes and house shoes. Yes, I drive in house shoes. Not very rock ‘n roll of me, is it?

Once I had calmed down, I drove several hours with my windshield like this, hoping to get everyone to the airport on time.

I dropped my group off, and instead of going home to Cowboy, my bed and a washing machine that didn’t require quarters, I spent the next several days at a Canadian truck stop with Biceps waiting for my window to be fixed.
And to be honest, we had a blast together decompressing after the long tour; biking throughout the scenic industrial park, walking the gravel path back and forth to the showers at the truck stop, meeting new and interesting people.
I suppose I have the snow goose to thank for this.

(photo courtesy of Malcolm Schuyl at http://www.wildvisions.co.uk)
May he rest in peace.