Reply to "Fall Photo Challenge"

Mark:

You’re right. I confess. I could not get through an entire season without taking some photos. The one below was taken on Thanksgiving Weekend, and e-mailed around to my friends with the following caption:

"I finally got around to adjusting the clutch in the Pantera yesterday, so I figured I should take the car out today and make sure it works (translation; "it was a beautiful day and I wanted to tear up some back roads"). I picked up John, a friend to whom I had been promising a ride for some time, at the industrial shop where he works. When I got there, he had me pull inside the large building where they service their truck-mounted oilfield equipment so all the guys could look at the car. Then I piled him into the passenger seat, and slowly headed north out of town. As we drove along, he commented that the Pantera was very comfortable and that he was surprised by how quiet it was. At first, I looked at him in surprise, because that's the last comment I would ever expect anyone to make about it. Then I smiled an evil smile, and replied, "it can get louder." There is a long, steep hill on the Alaska Highway at Charlie Lake. As we reached the bottom, I dropped it down two gears, punched it and, before we were even halfway up the speedo was already showing over 240km/h. The expression on John's face was a strange amalgam of sheer terror, and total delight as he grinned from ear to ear. All he could say was "Holy. Shit."

I turned off the Alaska Highway onto my favourite scenic and winding road, hanging the tail out a little just for fun. Then we blasted along for another 60 km before turning back. Driving at over 200 as we wound through the Peace River Valley felt as natural as doing it at the normal 90 in my GMC.

What a perfect, thrilling day."

I have since had a report from John's wife. In response to my question as to whether he liked the ride, she answered about her notoriously reserved husband that, "Liked would not be the word - I can say that he has not emoted about something at this level in a very long time."

I think I may have made another convert...

- Peter