driving at night

I work the 11 pm to 7am shift, I have the pleasure of driving at night, looking at the moon, and generally thinking,about whatever, I want to think about. Half of my ride is rural, lots of woods, open fields, before I ever reach the city.
Occasionally during these drives, I'll be fortunate enough to spot the animals that inhabit these areas.

My favorite is the night, I spotted something crossing the road, at first I was annoyed, what was someone doing walking the side of the road dressed in black, as i got closer I realized, it wasn't human but a most likely a big dog, as i got closer, i realized that's not a dog that's a black bear!!! I got to witness it climb up and over a stone wall, and continue on it's journey. I was thrilled and in awe all in the same breath.

There is a fox, I see from time to time on this route .When I first spotted the fox it was young, with it's sibling running beside it. I was so happy. It made me feel like the land was very rich, to be able to support two kits.As with all life cycles I also witnessed, the death of one of the young foxes, it made me sad to see it's brother or sister pacing near it's lifeless body, though the area is wooded, there is a street that still runs through it,and make it dangerous to foxes crossing the roads. As years have passed from that moment, I occasionally caught a glimpse of the lone fox, still surviving. This year I had the great fortune of seeing this fox grown up with it's own little fat bellied pup, tottering after it. I felt honored to have seen that.

My most recent sighting have been deer, you notice them out of your periphery as you drive by.They always seem to be waiting to cross the road, or they've just run into the road, it is powerful to witness that. That brief second where we are both staring at each other, then in a flash I've driven by, or that deer has crossed the road, to disappear back in the woods. The sighting may have been brief, but it's effect on me, priceless.