Counting Down, 40% Chance of A Go

Titusville Marina, N 28.62061 W 80.80903

Tonight we'll have a visit from my Brother Ed and his wife Sally and my nephew Paul and his wife Melissa. We moved from at anchor in to the marina to make it easier for them than rowing out in the dinghy. With a little luck, (they say 40% chance), we can all get to watch the space shuttle launch tonight. The weather is threatening. Gale warnings are going up offshore and the temperature will drop to 40F (7C) tonight. If the shuttle doesn't launch at 21:35 tonight, they'll have to wait 5 days until the weather clears up.

Our son David is in the Alaska National Guard, recently stationed to Kuwait. Public information in his company newsletter said, "We are now going on one month into our ECFOR mission that is strategic to our overall national interest in protecting Kuwait from all threats conventional and insurgent. Our soldiers are arrayed in our Area of Operations as a Security Force to protect US forces and assets from potential conventional and known insurgent threats.

The vast majority of our area of operations looks like the Tundra except that it is tan and brown (as opposed to being white), has oil and radio towers and is interspersed with the occasional goat or camel herder. Although it has been hot, it is getting cooler as we head into the Mideast Winter. Our training at Shelby has acclimated us for the heat. We also receive as much bottled water as we can carry and drink."

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