Glass Trees

My world has been a crystal fantasy. Everything was coated in an icy splendor. It also carried with it a chilling reverence. Every step had to be calculated. Driving was reduced to a snail-like pace, at least at first. Subsequently, the ice melted causing icicle daggers to come crashing down. I drove home, cautiously avoiding the trees full of the abominable icicles. The trees seemed to be waiting patiently for the passing cars before releasing their daggers of ice. I could hear the dreaded crack and thud as a melting icicle struck the car in front of me. I could almost sense the tree's evil laugh as it hit its target. I zig zagged and eventually arrived safely home, or so I thought. As I opened my front door an ice dagger from the gutter swiftly struck the ground only centimeters from where I was standing. One slight move to the left could have left me with a pierced sternum. The sad part would have been the fact that the icicle would have melted away leaving my lifeless body and no one would be the wiser. The only evidence would have been a mere puddle. By the next day, however, it was all but a dream as the sun shone brightly across the muddy lawn.
Unfortunately, mother nature was given a second chance. The following week the fearsome ice returned in full force. Fortunately, the city was armed and ready. The streets managed to throw off much of the ice leaving a city of clear frosty trees. It was a sight to behold. All of the trees looked as if they were made of glass. When the light hit the ice, everything took on a surreal effect. I took pictures in order to remember how it all looked. Of course, no photo can capture adequately what the eye can see. On the final day of ice, we woke to snow. It was a light snow, but enough to cover all of the ice, turning everything white. Again, the camera came out in a feeble attempt to recreated the colorless world of white and gray.
I again drove near the evil tree that released its icy daggers the week before. However, this time revenge dealt an awful blow. The tree had split in half. Its limbs could no longer bear the weight of the thick, heavy ice. Crews were quickly sawing it into logs. It was almost as if it had a look of shock on its trunk.
Once more, the world has melted. It has been a unusual winter thus far. Despite the treacherous driving conditions we all have had to endure, we also, if only for a few days, lived in a crystal world of icy wonderment.