Don't blast my ashes into space.......

Again, I sat in front of NASA TV for a couple hours waiting with nervous energy for the launch of the shuttle. I had stayed up late a couple of nights before only to have weather and then some broken device cause a delay. Mostly, I sit and hope that it DOESN'T go up. I just get so anxious and I can't imagine what possesses a person to want to actually do this. It's almost unbearable to me to wait for the launch. Sometimes I hope I will fall asleep and miss it.....but then, no pictures for the blog !! I wonder if anyone ever has 2nd thoughts about being blasted into space. I've never heard of them ever substituting someone when they have a delay.And to think that people actually PAY for a chance to sit on a rocket. I just can't imagine doing it. I just can't.......

But tonight, despite my hoping that a stray cloud would wander over and fire of one bolt of lightning, or a bulb would burn out or something just to stop it from roaring into space, it lifted off right on schedule. These pictures are really bad but I just had to prove to you that I did see it. It was a clear night and maybe that was not a good thing. Other times, the clouds have reflected a lot of the light and the shuttle has to go thru them and it makes for a more visible event. I had one ear on the TV and one foot out the back door. As soon as there was main ignition, there was this tremendous orange glow on the horizon, above the trees. And out of this glow came this brilliant orange light moving fair ly slowly upward.

Eventually, it started to arc over and became whiter in color. It then moved faster it seemed.

And then, it just looked like a bright moving star. I was able to see it until they said it was over 300 miles down range and 5 minutes from launch.

And now I can relax. Out of sight, out of mind I guess.

The area was very quiet. Usually we hear people cheering but it was still and only the frogs from the pond were clapping. And now I'm wide awake......