We were driving back from Warrensburg (about 40 miles east of Lees Summit) this evening, after visiting a furniture store there, when we were reminded of something that we didn't much encounter in Alaska (or maybe our memory is flawed): bug guts all over the front of our car. And the bugs come pretty big here, which leaves as you can guess a pretty big mess. I often hear the things late at night when I'm up working. When I don't have the curtain across the porch door drawn, they throw themselves at the glass and it makes a rather noticeable thudding noise. Or they crowd the light on the porch, which gives you a really good idea of their size. I don't know if they're beetles or stink bugs, but I could swear some of them are as large as my thumbnail. I'm particularly squeamish when it comes to bugs, so it was no pleasure to me to have one fluttering against my leg tonight as I was unloading a sleeping BB from the car. I just hope the thing didn't get shut up in the car when everything was said and done.
And while I'm on the subject, I have to say, I've had an awful eye-full of road kill since we've been back in the Lower 48. Drew hypothesizes it's because the wildlife here is smaller and less avoidable shall we say than what you find in Alaska. Raccoons, possums, any number of (unidentifiable) smaller rodent types, turtles, the occasional feline, deer. Certainly, anyone would be loathe to hit a moose or a bear, which would do at least and/or more damage than a deer. I would further hypothesize that for as much road and wildlife as there is in Alaska, you're not going to have that many car-animal encounters period. I should ask Drew what his impressions were when he drove the ALCAN.
