In my query “what in the world?” on Facebook this week, 3 people guessed right. The other answers ranged from “green space aliens, spinach leaves, a spa treatment, kelp, and a scuba diver on acid.”

The award-winning photo above was taken by Jim Maschke, a photographer in Michigan who just happened to feel inspired while being pulled through an automatic carwash. The picture was awarded Best in Show in a local photo contest. Jim used a Sony Cyber Shot 12.5 Mega Pixel with a Zeiss 2.8-5.5 lens.

And did you know there is an official International Carwash Association? The group even has a documented “glossary of terms” from A to W. (I was impressed that they got that far.) Some of my favorite terms are:

“Reclaim pits”

“Dilution Ratio”

“Mitter Curtain”

“Presoak Foamers”

“Treadle Pad”

“Variable Frequency Drive”

“Auto Dump Feature”

When I tried to explore the super-secret meanings of these highly valued terms, I was denied access. Apparently, the ICA holds its operator information pretty close to the chassis.  Membership to the reported $23-billion industry costs close to 300 dollars, so I decided not to pursue the matter any further. But just for the fun of it, check out their link here.