One of the joys of life aboard - a Saturday night dock party with old friends and new friends! Everybody brings their own favorite adult beverage and a dish to share. Our more talented friends bring their guitar play and sing!! And then the story telling starts!!
I've wanted to post these two pictures for months now, but every time I think about writing about them I start to cry. It breaks my heart to see the shuttle program coming to an end. Jim and I were lucky enough to be "stuck" in Titusville, FL for fourteen months and to receive the gift of seeing at least six launches (including two at night) and a few landings. Jim took both of these beautiful pictures. The daylight shot was taken on June 2, 2009, when Atlantis was flown back from California on NASA's modified 747. Amazingly, it came right over our boat and was fairly low since they were landing just a few miles away. The other shot was the night launch of Discovery on August 28, 2009. We were anchored out in the Indian River just a few miles from the launchpad. Not only was the launch incredibly beautiful to see, the roar that came across the water vibrated the whole boat. I've always loved to watch the launches on tv but to see them "up close and personal" has been something to remember and appreciate forever. God bless the astronauts - past, present and future.