By Lynn Froude

It is now springtime. It is now time for more of our furry and winged neighbors to be traveling the Mountain Community roads along with us.

Given the number of flattened, dead creatures filling the roads from the I-5 to Highway 33 recently, it seems appropriate to remind drivers of a few things.

Please keep your eyes forward at all times. Please stop talking on your cell; stop looking at your car mates while you talk; stop fiddling with whatever keeps you distracted from driving; and please stop driving so fast.

Please watch for little critters along our highways. Remember that they depend upon our intelligence and concern for their well-being as they are smaller and less intelligent than we.

They depend upon our ability to understand that they are not trying to make our lives more hectic or to slow our rush to get to work, home or wherever.

Our critters are just trying to find food, a mate and a place to call home.

Take for example our gray squirrels. Their normal habitat is in the tops of trees. Their sense of security on the ground is gained through their stopand- go behavior. They are trying to find their footing. Just because drivers beep their horns when a few feet from where a squirrel may be positioned on the road does not mean it is going to scamper away. Not only is the squirrel trying to get its bearings, it has now been startled by a loud horn.

Drivers must slow down the moment a squirrel or any other critter is spotted to give everyone (human as well as furry or winged critter) time to react.

Take for example our longeared jackrabbits. During the day, they blend in perfectly with the roadside. At night, they freeze in our headlights. Please slow down to give everyone time to react.

Take for example our local quail. Those mad-hatters can run like the dickens, but I’ve seen a driver plow right through a group desperately trying to make it to the other side. The driver did not slow down one bit. Regardless of how fast those little roadrunner-like legs can carry them, quail are no match for automobiles.

Take for example our raptors. They hunt at night. They swoop low to the ground for various reasons (such as hunting…relocation…haven’t gotten truly airborne yet).

Everyone’s eyesight is impaired to some degree at night. Doesn’t it make sense to slow down to give everyone time to react?

Please remember to think about the suffering critters endure when they are hit and not killed right away. They lie there, broken, bleeding, with horrific pain as their last experience on God’s green earth. Please try to avoid being the cause of such suffering… and slow down. Thank you for reading this.

Lynn Froude has been driving mountain roads for 10 springs. She has lived in the Pine Mountain community for that time.

This is part of the April 20, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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