Crisp and cold in Stratford, with bright sunshine today. Normal winter weather for southwestern Ontario. One of the cardinals resident in my hedge gave me a rousing performance of his slide-whistle impression this morning, so I know all is well in his little world.

Not so much for me. On Tuesday, I had a car accident in which I T-boned a perfectly innocent Ford in broad daylight, the result of failing to stop at a red light. In something like 45 years of driving, I have never done anything like that before; in fact, I’ve never had so much as a speeding ticket.

I hit the Ford on the passenger side and I was in third gear, doing about 45 kph, so the poor driver was flung against the door. She was properly belted in, and suffered only bruising. The passenger side of her car was all stove in. My car is probably a write-off because its air-bags deployed, and I spent several hours in the emergency room being investigated for a lot of things it never occurred to me to worry about. The air-bag hit my hands, so they look as if I had punched somebody’s lights out. Apart from that, I’m physically fine. Mentally, I’m still badly rattled.

The police constable was downright sweet to me, which I did not expect and remain very grateful for. I guess it helped that I accepted responsibility and expressed remorse as soon as she told me what I had done. She gave me a ticket for running the light but did not charge me with anything else. The insurance people are efficient and kind, as well. I have a rental car until they decide whether my poor VW is toast. Doing without a car is not an option as long as I live in this house; the nearest supermarket is four kilometres away.

So life goes on, as it does. I need milk and veg, so I have to crawl out of my hole whether I want to or not.