Why did the porcupine cross the road?

Approaching porcupine! Stop the car! Try to get a photo!

OK, all you wise-cracks.  Why DID the porcupine cross the road?  To get to the other side?

There are a million answers to this one, don’t we know.  Feel free to add your opinion in the comments.  (I’ll tell you my idea if you keep reading.)

Here’s the story behind this Cutie.  We were driving back from the vicinity of Silver Mountain–do not ask which day–when suddenly the Above Porcupine began waddling across Skanee Road. 

I slammed on the brakes, excitedly grabbing for the camera.  Where was the camera anyway?  Just about nervously dropped it on the floor in the excitement of the Photographic Opportunity.

Barry, who had been snoozing at the time, was saying, “What? What?  Why are you stopping?”

Until he saw It.

And it was headed directly toward the camera!

Bingo!!

Snap, snap, snap clicked the camera shutter as the porcupine came closer.

Until there was the Porcupine, as close as could be.

Awww, isn't he cute?

And then he proceeded to waddle beneath our car.

I looked at Barry.  He looked at me.

We were stuck.  There was a porcupine beneath our car.  If we drove forward or backward, we might run him over.

What should we do?

We waited. A few cars drove by.

“Put your head out the window and see if you can see him anywhere!”  I implored my bleary-eyed passenger.

No sign of the porcupine.

(Could the answer to the above question be:  The porcupine crossed the road so he could sit under our car.  ??)

The decision to take the nature shots of the quilly fellow now seemed  a bit…questionable.  I crept forward a little, straining the ears for any sound of the slightest thump.   Nothing.

“What should we do?” I moaned.  “I don’t want to kill the porcupine.”

Neither did we want to get out and look beneath the car, perhaps getting stuck with dozens upon dozens of sharp-needled quills. 

Neither did we want to sit on the side of the road all afternoon.

Finally my passenger said,  “There he is!” and pointed to the grasses moving in the nearby ditch, our little fellow waddling away looking like he had not a single care in the world.

Why did the Porcupine cross the road?

Aspen grove in sunlight

Answer:  To nibble the aspen bark for dinner.  Porcupines, as some of you may know, dine on plants, inner tree bark, twigs and leaves.

Anyone else have a better idea?

**My husband just said the porcupine crossed the road to star in his on-line debut in this blog. 

Hmmmm…..