A Go Kart Birthday Party.

Celebrating Hudson Silk's Birthday.

It was a day to remember.  Not the actual day Hudson was born on, mind you.  That wouldn't have worked out because his birthday wish was to experience the thrills of Go Karting, and it was not open during the winter months.  So, he had to do something all teenage boys hate - wait.  Yet he did it with composure and stamina; the day would eventually come.

It was on Easter weekend that his wish would come true.  His family and a close friend traveled to the nearest race track and braced themselves for what was to be Go Kart Glory.  His adopted uncle came along to photograph the event.  Each heat was to last seven minutes; an eternity when adrenalin is attempting to remove your heart from your chest.  There were to be three heats all together.  The whole event, from start to finish, took about an hour.  It was glorious.

Now, I could be making up how much Hudson really enjoyed the friendly competition.  I shot about 670 at the venue; many of them featuring the birthday boy.  His smile stretched from ear to ear in many of them.  He didn't just like it, he loved it.  It takes only a brief examination of the top photograph to see that.  He reveled in the challenge.  Each curve fraught with excitement, the strait-a-ways exhilarating with acceleration, and the chance to pass dad was priceless.  Everyone was on equal terms here.

When it was finished the party-goers received a printout of their times.  Average track times were near a minute for each complete circuit.  Hudson's were near the top.  But achieving top rank was not the goal, and Hudson came out a winner.  His birthday wish fulfilled and everyone excited about their experience, we headed out for ice cream.  A suitable reward for champions.  Happy Birthday Hudson!