I never noticed how many Volvos there are here on the prairie until my mother gave me hers. Then I started to see them everywhere - almost as numerous as the deer. My sister tells me that in Sweden, the birthplace of Volvos, deer are the number one cause of automobile accidents so Volvos are solidly built to take the impact of a deer. That may explain why Volvos have migrated to the American prairie along with the white tailed deer.

My friend Sarah and I were glad we had a Volvo the night the deer ran into us. We had taken a turn off the highway onto a dark road to get to her house. Sarah was driving, I was in the back, since the other seat in the front was full of her stuff.

A few minutes later Sarah was screaming and slamming on the brakes for no apparent reason. There were no cars in sight. I reached over the back of the seat and put my hand on her shaky shoulder to say "it's alright" But at that moment I saw out her window in the darkness a buck decked with huge antlers approaching full speed. Sarah, still screaming, shrank down into her seat as he crashed an eyelash length from her. We heard glass shatter as his antlers, bony knees and full body hit the car. We expected the worst.

A less dirty, I mean, a less sturdy car would have crumpled at the impact, but the deer just ricocheted off unhurt and ran into the woods as fast as he had come. We got out to look at the damage. There was not even a dent or scratch. The only thing that broke was the glass on the side view mirror.