Runover Bunny

Bunnies are far cuter in books for children than when they've been accidentally run over on your road. In both cases, they're 2-dimensional, but in children's books, they always have bushy tails and seem to be thinking something clever. On your road, they have tire tracks and seem to be getting devoured by flies. To me, this type of bunny is far less cute.

I was driving back from the Village when I noticed a flat lump on the side of the road in the shape of a bunny in motion. Slowing down, I verified in my rear-view mirror that my first suspicion was correct. Maeve was in the car at the time, so I couldn't just run out and check. We were on our way to the playground and pool, so I packed the car carefully: bathing suits, towels, sunscreen, and a big shovel. Then we headed back to the car.

I couldn't recall exactly where the dead bunny was, but I knew it was between our neighbor and us (meaning that it had been run over by either my wife or me). It didn't take me long to locate it; at the point where the flies were most thickly congregated, I slowed down. I quickly hopped out of the car -- Maeve is too young to require an excuse for such behavior -- and opened the trunk. In one motion, the bunny was swept into the foliage, taking his buzzing entourage with him.

The joys of country life.