MEMORABLE EVENTS

Subj: SPACE SHOT ... WHAT A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT!
Date: 12/4/00
From: Spyglass Amelia Island, FL

Dear Family and Friends,

I just have to share this with you.

The other night, I think it was Thursday, maybe Friday, we heard Kennedy Space Center was conducting another launch. We were at our place, Spyglass, at Amelia Island, FL. Lift off was to occur in the evening around 9:00 PM. When the announcer on Fox News mentioned it was time for lift off, Larry and I went out on our lanai to watch, hoping to catch sight of it.

At first we saw only a big flash of fire. It looked like it was almost right down shore on the beach. (We couldn't believe how close it seemed, as we are approx 100 mi from Kennedy Space Center) We weren't sure, yet, if it was the shuttle.

But THEN it began rising. It looked VERY BRIGHT...YELLOWISH-WHITE … with a long tail, but it didn't seem to be going THAT fast ... and it seemed to be coming RIGHT AT US! (Optical illusion, of course, as we are still here to tell about it, tsk tsk) It kept coming, almost like it was following the shoreline ... closer … and closer … RIGHT TOWARD US!

THEN it veered upward and began to climb and climb, leaving a long trail of fiery flames in its path … but all the while, we didn't hear a thing. Somewhere it must have dropped the rocket, but we didn't see that, or if we did, we didn't realize we saw it. We watched it climb upwards until it was out of sight. And WHAT A SIGHT IT WAS!

I have seen 'lift offs' from our porch before, during the day, when all I could see was a trail of white smoke ... but THIS LIFT-OFF WAS SPECTACULAR … the biggest fireworks I have EVER seen.

GOD! How beautiful of an experience that was! How privileged we were to witness it ... and so vividly. Thank you USA Space Program. Thank you for making this possible ... and please bring our astronauts home safely.

Today, after the shuttle landed, I saw a picture of the astronauts outside the craft ... looking like floating balloons in their space suits. It is a MIRACLE ... this Space Travel. And to think I could watch it right from my own porch. MY! How far this country has come. To think that we can actually go to Space and walk on the moon. UNBELIEVABLE! Completely unthought of as a child. And this is only the beginning! What awesome sights will our grandchildren experience? We can only imagine!

Awesome,

Carole Beighey