As I was driving to go pick up James, an owl launched itself from the grassy verge on the passenger's side of the car and swept across the road in a great indistinct wash of wings, barely two feet in front of the car. My foot jerked on the gas pedal, but long before the message "BRAAAAAKES!" crawled out of my brainstem and began hitchhiking down the long slow highway of spine, the owl had crossed out of my lane--giving the person in the oncoming car presumably the same reaction I had--and sailed into the trees.
