A big event

I didn't realize prior to last Friday's shuttle flyover just how big an event this was.

At the Columbia Memorial Space Center, where so much of the shuttle program is documented, several hundred people gathered and waited, in some cases for several hours. Many people brought their lawn chairs and staked out a location in the shade. Everyone had their cameras and phones ready.

Several Downey city council members (past and present) were there. I chatted briefly with a local high school teacher who was hoping that the shuttle would get there before his lunch break was over. Parents brought their young kids. A CBS2/KCAL9 reporter held his shuttle prop at the ready. (I bet he wished he could find some shade!) Several local journalists wandered and chatted with the crowd.

The thing I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I'm sure it was the most fun that I'll ever have in my life.
~Sally K. Ride, first woman to orbit Earth aboard the Space Shuttle, 1983