;)
If you click on the above picture that I took this morning, it will blow-up a bit and then you will see that the three words right in front of the "4008" say "Spirit of Wasilla." The Spirit of Wasilla is the most famous train engine in the world and if you didn't know that, it is just because you have been distracted by all the other nonsense that has come out of Wasilla this past year.
People come here from all over the world, including Burmingham, Botswanna, hoping to catch a ride on this engine, but few succeed.
Anyway, I learned about the great train vs. pickup truck race that took place in Wasilla today as I lay in bed this morning, listening to the news. I was horrified to hear that the Spirit of Wasilla and the truck that it was going to race had already lined up at the starting line and that the contest was about to begin.
Quicker than a tiddly-wink shot out of a canon, I leapt from my bed into my Levi's, sprinted through the house, out the door and into the Escape and sped off toward the starting line. I did not want to miss this race!
When I arrived, I was a little distressed to find out that not only had the race already started, but the pickup truck had taken the lead!
Of course, everybody knows that a pickup truck is faster off the line then a train but give a train a little time and it can really pick up speed, so I still had hope.
;)
Holy cow! This old Ford truck came barreling from the other direction, straight toward the competing pickup truck. The poor race driver wet his pants and barreled off the road. The "Spirit of Wasilla" sped away, into the lead. It looked like nothing could prevent it from winning now.
;)
OH NO! Another train came roaring down the track from the opposite direction, driven by a passenger in a passenger car that I photographed when passed near here in August of 2006.
Oh, the humanity! The humanity!
The race was lost.
"Billy!" I can hear Margie shouting at me from the living room. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it right now! Somebody is going to believe your nonsensical lies and then we will be railroaded out of town!"
I love the train. I just love it. One day, I will ride on it. I never have. All these tourists come up and ride the Alaska Railroad, but I never have.
How come?