Fallen Tree

MORNING OF DECEMBER 9, 2008

I was in my car with some friend, I don't really remember which one. We were stuck at the back of a long line of cars at a red light. To the left of us there was a steep dirt embankment with a few trees on the level ground above it.

The wind was blowing fiercely as a storm was coming in. Suddenly there was a loud crack as one of the trees was blown down. It was completely uprooted, landing on its side before rolling down the slope to toward the vehicles waiting below. It came to rest just at the edge of the embankment. We all held our breath as it wavered on it's perilous perch.

Suddenly some soil gave way the the entire tree dropped off the embankment onto one of the cars at the front of the line. It was pretty terrifying, because it looked like the people in that care must be doomed. Several people, including my friend and I, rushed out of our cars to see what kind of help people might need.

Three or four latter-middle-aged-to-elderly ladies we crawling out of the car, frazzled but seemingly unharmed. They were complaining in shock about what had just happened, especially the fact that the loss of the car meant the loss of their shelter from the impending rain. I remember vividly the image of one of the ladies who wore a pink shawl tied around her head to protect against the elements, and it was flapping madly in the wind.

I was relieved but a bit perplexed that no one seemed hurt when the car was mostly flattened vertically down the center.