Road Kill

WARNING: If you are eating, or just don't like reading gross stuff, go read something else.

I have an unusual hobby. I drive to work on a rural highway, and there is always something new dead on the side of the road. Usually, it's raccoons, sometimes a big fat momma and three or four little bitty baby raccoons all crushed and lifeless in a group, like a Racine constellation. Sometimes it's a skunk, the stink letting it's presence be known even if the body isn't visible. Sometimes, it's someone's dog or cat, and that's extra sad. One of the reasons I keep an eye on the roadkill is to keep from contributing to the body count. Especially now when the deer are getting hit left and right. It seems like every day I notice a new deer on the side of the road, or smeared all over the middle of it.

Anyway, back to the really gross part. Well, two gross parts. A while ago someone's dog got hit about half-way to work. I was able to watch all 4 stages of decomposition. First it just laid there, kind of twisted. Then it started puffing up like a bag of microwave popcorn. After that it started turning into a dog puddle. Every day the lump of dog got smaller and the puddle of dog got bigger. Now it's in it's last stage, the dried up 'what was that hairy thing?' stage.

The other gross roadkill item of interest (or not), is a dog that got hit right outside of town. It was a fairly large black dog. Used to be anyway. Some little kid is probably crying his eyes out. Unfortunately, the remains didn't end up safely on the shoulder, the body got stuck right in the middle of the highway. Yesterday, on the way into work, I noticed there were two piles. Apparently, getting repeatedly knocked around by passing cars skinned the dog. Now there is a pile of dog fur next to a pile of dog pieces. Something you don't see every day. Well, I do since I drive past it every day on the way to work. Lucky me.