I had driven my husband’s old and dented light blue pick-up truck to work the day of the publicity gathering. So, after I had finished my work-shift, I left that part of the mountain and I strategically parked in a lot closer to the base lodge. When I got out of the truck, I remember speaking with a few tailgating skiers in the parking lot; as they were only two parking slots from me. I explained that I was excited because I was going to get my ice skate autographed by Jonny Mosley. Then I scooted up to the base lodge.

I wanted to get to the area very early and secure a spot at the beginning of the waiting line. I was about third or fourth to the front. Jonny was doing press release stuff up on the mountain so he was a good thirty minutes late (or more) getting to the base lodge for the autographing event. When he did appear, he was well received and looking great! A boy in front of me had Jonny autograph one of his skies. I very quickly had Jonny sign my ice skate—barely saying much at all to him. I told him how to spell my name. went by Debbie at the time. The line behind me was extremely long with youngsters so I quickly left and headed back to the parking lot. By this time, I was hungry and ready to get home after a long day.

Only a few cars were left in the lot by now. I was surprised to see the men who had been tailgating still there. With all of my enthusiasm, I showed my autographed ice skate to them and they seemed happy for me. They even took a picture of me holding the ice skate up as I stood with the pick-up truck behind me. Then, I drove out of the lot. (I never asked for their names or where they lived.) As my vehicle moved out to the access road, I thought it was weird that one man was still taking pictures of my truck while I drove off.

I only had a short 15 min. ride and was soon home. I thought that I heard a car beep at me, at one point as it approached me and past on their side of the road, but I was clueless to understand why the horn was needed.

When I arrived home I very quickly and excitedly brought my ice skate into the apartment and showed my husband and daughter. Then I went back out to the truck to get my bag and things. Upon walking back to the truck, I saw what the "tailgaters" did while I was up at the base lodge, which had caused the passing car to "beep". They had tied the hind leg of a dead deer onto a long rope and had wrapped the long rope to the rear bumper of the truck. That deer leg had been bouncing and dragging along behind the truck all the way home. The "tailgaters" took pictures of the truck driving away so that they could view the dangling deer leg on film. It was funny and extremely weird.

Now, this is how they got the deer leg. My roughed-up, poor boy truck must have been a curiosity. Apparently, two large black garbage bags were in the rear bed and had caught their attention, of which I was not aware of. The bags in the rear of the pick-up bed were stuffed with dismembered deer parts. (My husband had been to a friend’s house earlier that week-end and his friends were hunters.) The "tailgaters" had been poking around my truck and somehow noticed the animal parts, rope and stuff. Then they planned the joke--to tie the leg on to the bumper. After I saw how the deer leg was tied on, I then understood why pictures were taken as I drove out of the parking lot.

I never have seen the picture that was taken of me. If anyone is out there with a picture of me holding an autographed ice skate, please do let me know. I would love to see how that photo turned out!

"Have dead deer legs, will travel?"