Blast Off To Space

Atlas Launch from NASA at Cape Kennedy, February 24, 2012

On the left side is  the Vehicle Assembly Building which is 526 feet tall. Either my camera is slow or that is one fast rocket.  At blast off I snapped this picture but in the time it took me to lift the camera, turn it on, take the photo,  the rocket was already over a half mile in the air.  


Of course I was slightly distracted by a certain little four legged creature who was more interested in playing ball than watching the blast off. 

I had to be in Melbourne Florida for medical mess. But the RV parks are packed solid. Well, that's what I get for not planning ahead. There is the NBA All-Star  Weekend in Orlando, the Daytona 500 races, and the Atlas went off a week late, causing many contractors to stay over in the area. Add to that it's President's week when many folks take a Florida vacation and POOF it was hard to find a spot to camp. 


But it pays to be optimistic and flexible. I called many RV parks and campgrounds only to be told they were full for days or weeks coming.  One place I've always wanted to visit, that is nearly always full, I didn't bother to call. Then I thought, what the heck, might as well call them up and listen to them tell me they are full. 


Well, I ended up playing telephone tag with them several times before I got a live person. At that point I said "Hi, I've been playing phone tag with you all day!"  He chuckled. I told him I had a silly question, did he by chance have any availability at all. He said he might have one or two nights for me, he would consult his computer. I said "We are flexible, I don't mind if you have to move me from spot to spot."  He said "Well, in that case, I could give you a week, if you don't mind moving around some."


So I ended up at Manatee Hammock in Titusville, Florida. I still have some medical mess to attend to next week but I'm not too awfully far away. 


The first spot they gave me at Manatee Hammock was close to the highway and a tad noisy, but beggars can't be choosers. They did however give me a weekly discount of 35% so that was super nice. Two days later, they moved me to a spot far away from the highway with a view of the Indian River. 


Am I lucky or what?  

Atlas V