July 8

We watched the orange glow get smaller and smaller. The sun beat down from a gorgeous blue sky. The sand was sizzling hot. Big umbrellas tried to mask the heat. The smell of the ocean was carried by a warm breeze as waves crashed on the beach. Bronzed bodies and colorful towels lined the beach like a carpet. A cruise ship sat far out in the deep turquoise water. Body boards skimmed the tops of white-capped waves as they fell to the shore. As the day matured, the crowed grew. The sun’s intense heat was starting to relax as it sank in the distance. You could feel the anticipation as everyone waited. Finally it was time. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, the crowd chanted, two, one, lift off. The space shuttle was stripping off all that was around it on take off. It was huge and the sound thundered all around. The crowd cheering wildly as we watched it head towards the blue sky. Flashes like lighting as cameras captured the moment. Time seemed to stand still as we watched it climb, we were awestruck in the making of history that afternoon. Higher and higher it went as we watched the orange glow get smaller and smaller.