Evening Whine

The times they are a-changin’.

This post seems to be older than 16 years—a long time on the internet. It might be outdated.

I was driving home yesterday. It’s was around 5:15pm and the traffic was moderate, but flowing – although not a speed limit commute*. I’m listening to Ron and Don’s coverage of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis when I hear this whine from behind me.

I hunch forward over my steering wheel just as the shadow of TS-3 encompasses my car. The air feels cooler as she blocks the evening sun. I shout, “Oh cool!” and realize that this will probably be the closet I will ever get to seeing one. I gaze up and look for a few seconds as she flies overhead, on her approach to land at Boeing Field, probably after flying since 9am.

I think about taking a picture with my phone, but my eyes are frozen and I don’t.

Eventually, she drops below the tree line and I continue my commute; steering a bit to the left after drifting too far right.

* “Speed limit commute” is radios secret way of saying that that there are no blockages and people are driving as fast as they want.

Image source: http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet_media.asp?fsID=98

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