Every morning I drive in through western Delaware County in the pre-dawn darkness.

But I know I am not alone.

This morning I had another close encounter with my morning “dance partners.”

As usual, it came out of nowhere, darting out literally from the darkness directly in front of my car.

Deer me.

It’s not the first time this has happened. Anyone who drives in this county has probably experienced something similar at one time or another.

I slammed on the brakes and yanked the steering wheel hard to the left. And closed my eyes. But I could still see those huge eyes of a large deer staring at me through the windshield.

I prepared for impact, but it never happened. I’m not exactly sure how I managed to miss my four-legged friend. Maybe it was more agile than I thought. It certainly wasn’t my defensive driving tactics.

I couldn’t stop because there was a car behind me. But I admit I was shaken. It takes a while before that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach subsides.

Then I continued on my way – admittedly at a slower pace.

The thing is I know this is not the last time I will do this tango with the deer who seem to be overrunning the roads in the western end of the county.

The question is not if, it’s merely when.

Be careful out there.