My tragic chipmunk story.

I accidentally killed a chipmunk today.  With my bike.  I'm not kidding.

It was mortifying.  I was just coming around the bend on the bike path near the Genesee River, when I saw the chipmunk.  Yes, I saw the chipmunk.  It was off to the side, not quite in the grass, but I thought it was instantly going to run further into the grass to get out of the way.  But no, it ran in the opposite direction, across the bike path, right as my bike was passing.  It all happened way too fast for me to stop before I realized the chipmunk had run right between my front wheel and bike chain.  I think it even dinged a couple of times off of my pedals like a pinball machine before it stayed still.

At first I didn't think it was dead.  I thought I had just knocked it over, because when I looked over my shoulder as I kept biking, it seemed to be moving, so I thought it was just having trouble getting up.  I kept going, shell-shocked from what had just happened, but also thinking, What do I do?  I decided that since it was alive, I should probably see if I can help or do something about it.  I thought I'd call Nathan to see if he had any good ideas.

So I turned around and started biking back, grateful that the two older ladies who were walking together were ahead of me when I hit the chipmunk.  As I biked, I kept hoping that I wouldn't see the chipmunk, that it had gotten back up on its own and managed to get off the bike path.

But no, I found the poor little creature in the middle of the path, lying still, and with a little bit of blood spattered on the ground.  I guess what I had seen looking over my shoulder was its little body spazzing before it died.

Yeah, I know.  Ew.

I felt SO terrible and SO grossed out at the same time.  I just couldn't stay.  I felt bad for the bikers and runners who would soon encounter this unexpected road surprise (hopefully noticing before they arrived) as they whizzed past me on my trip home.  I really did.  But there was just no way I could bring myself to move the little body out of the way...not even with a stick.

And that's how I accidentally killed a chipmunk with my bike today.  The End.

I'm sorry, little chipmunk.  I'm sorry I killed you and didn't give you a proper burial.  I asked Jesus for forgiveness.  I hope you'll forgive me, too.