Wednesday Words: Monoliths

Source: Seepsteen

Ominous billowing dark clouds descended and surrounded the ancient monolithic pillars.  Wind-driven snow encrusted formidable towers, in moments obscuring the court of Stonehenge. 

Source: wouterotto

Trapped in the Druid circle, snow-buried tourists huddled, wondering if guides and rangers would soon fish them out from a frozen grave.  Some decided to burrow through the drifts to the outer circle of towering granite.

Would they survive?

These underlined words are courtesy of Delores.  Every Wednesday, this crazy lady selects randomly (she says) 6 words to challenge participants.  You can access her site by clicking the lovely stream on the right sidebar.  Some awesome writers accept Delores' challenge!

Crush of the White Mustang

Source

On the freeway driving through what I now call is the “Valley of the Slumbering Giants”*, my eyes wandered to  gleaming silver BMW, pale green Prius, white Honda--all passing us.

Thundering diesels roared as they pulled their loads up the hills.

John was driving, listening to Rush; he switched back to Roger Hedgecock, and then to music of the 60s.  So my eyes and thoughts were my own.

A big hulking diesel pulled up to my side and I noted that its load was open for all to see.  Its flatbed carried stacks and stacks of crushed cars, strapped to a ‘fare-thee-well’ with red straps.  How many high? I wondered.

I attempted to count the stacks but failed.

                                                                           

From top to bottom, I got lost at six.  The first six were predictable rusty clunkers, more than ready to head to the car cemeteries.

Source

The next few were horribly twisted results of accidents.  Did the people live?  Those made me shiver.

Then, at the very bottom of the first stack, was a white mustang with straight red stripe along the side.  Not a scratch on the sides, not a dent in the fenders—perfect, recently off the showroom floor or new car lot.  But it was now flattened.

Source

White mustang convertible, wow.  How you must have reached speeds, passed mundane cars, and laid down mile after mile…until this happened.

What had happened?  I didn't want to know. 

*I used to call it “the Valley of the Burial Mounds”.

Preparation is the Key

This is misery, pure and simple.  Nothing more can be said about the storms that have been, are now arriving, and will be coming in a few days.

Source

Bismarck Tribune

The above two photos demonstrate how NOT to behave or dress in the midst of the arctic freeze.  Both agreed to news sources that they were totally unprepared.

Source: Hobbit Hotel in Montana

Advice from those who know: Stay inside and hunker down in a warm place.  Hot tea?  Coffee?  Chili?  Whatever is your choice, but stay safe, warm, and inside.

p.s.  Apparently there really IS a Hobbit Hotel in Montana.  Check the site under the charming hobbit hole above.