Horror on Iron Mountain (17 July)

No, this is not a beautiful spiderweb, glistening in the sunlight...it is just one of two dozen cracks in the windshield, caused by what is said to be the worst hailstorm here in the last 18 years. What started out as a bright sunny day and an enjoyable drive along the wildlife (of which we saw little) loop in Custer Park, turned into the most horrifying moments of our lives. The sound of golf ball sized hailstones pounding onto the car and the cracks spreading across the windshield were truly terrifying.
In front of us a driver had gone off the road with his front wheel. His wife said the windshield and sunroof were cracked and the children in the back seat had been screaming in fear. Emil and several other men tried to help him get back on the road. Finally we all backed up the one way road and drove down the other side (no one was driving up), so that a helpful fellow could pull this car out with his truck. We drove down the mountain carefully and, after getting a hotel room in the next town, called the rental agency. We can pick up another car tomorrow. We are just so thankful that we didn't have the grandkids in the car!
Although we didn't see any buffalo in Custer Park - and they have a herd of over 1,300 animals - we did see this one and some more colorful examples this morning in the town of Custer. And this evening, in Hill City we could admire this beautiful bronze bull. Emil is showing the necessary respect, although he is standing a little too close to this amazing animal!

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