Soapbox Amish

.

Okay, Philadelphia is one strange city.  Saturday, there was a soapbox derby on "the Wall," the infamously difficult uphill stretch of the the yearly bicycle race that passes through Manayunk, not many blocks away from where I live. 

This was not your father's soapbox derby.  The participants were all adults, for one, if still twentysomethings.  And the soapbox racers were made up to look like cheesesteaks, dragons, turtles, bathtubs, you name it.  And in some cases -- like "Man's Best Friend," which involved a guy dressed as a fire hydrant, rubber dog droppings, and a real live dog -- there was nothing you could put a name to.

There was a large, enthusiastic crowd, despite the torrential tropical storm that swept through just in time for the event.  The sponsor got lots and lots of valuable product placement from it.  None from me, though.

Above:  Jebediah's Journey.  The racer was made up to look like a buggy pulled by a crimson male cow.  The crew were all dressed in Amish drag.  Except that the women wore really short skirts.  I apologize that the picture doesn't show it.  But what with the rain and the crowds, it was a miracle Marianne was able to a usable snapshot at all.

And as always . . .

. . . I've updated Poem du Jour.   Saturday's entry begins a short run of Pablo Neruda poems.

*