Florida 2020

After the excitement of the KSC yesterday we've had a low-key day today.  David helped Larry with a couple of projects: fixing the screen door closer on the front door, and a chip on the windscreen of Dorie's Subaru.  The first job required a screwdriver and a hammer and some 3 in 1 oil.  The second involved a trip to Walmart to buy a repair kit. Both projects were signed off as satisfactory by the client - Larry. This was the hottest day so far - pushing 85 (30 if you must) so David went for a paddle in the sea followed by a swim in the pool for a leisurely ten lengths.

Today was another return visit, this time to the Kennedy Space Center.  It was a perfect tourist day: warm and sunny but not too warm.  We were none of us able to understand the driver of the bus from the visitor centre to  the site itself but, that apart, it was very successful.  The whole enterprise was a splendid achievement of which NASA are rightly very proud. We saw the original control room, an Atlas 5, the Atlantis Space Shuttle and lots of lesser exhibits.  Interestingly the rocket engines haven’t changed in concept from the days of the V-2: liquid fuel pumped at a vast rate into jet nozzle with an oxidiser.   They’ve just got bigger! We had a chat with a 'docent' who was a retired engineer who had worked on the Atlas 1A project. He had been a systems engineer working on propulsion systems: engines and hydraulics principally.  He likened a rocket liftoff to balancing a broom in the palm of your hand. Here are a couple more pho...

Yesterday's main attraction was the obligatory air-boat ride from Midway - about 45 minutes away.   This is the happy group in a swamp cypress grove.  This chap doesn’t look quite so happy. Maybe the last tourist he ate didn’t agree with him.  

We have woken up to another warm sunny day so everyone who emailed us hoping the weather is better here than at home can rest easy; it is!  Yesterday was taken up with Carolyn failing to get a haircut, Carolyn and Dorie food shopping and Carolyn and David buying David a new iPad - from Walmart - sorry!

We finally took off at around 1:30pm.  The flight went from 'Next update at 10:45' (nominal takeoff) to 'Next update at 1pm'.  Luckily I checked at five to 12 by which time it was posted 'Go to gate'.  We hot-footed it there, a 15-minute walk, only to stand around for another 20 minutes.  We finally took off around 1:30.  The takeoff was a bit bumpy but once at altitude a it was rock-steady all the way.  The cabin was free of noisy kids, the food was good, the extra space was welcome; nice all round.  There was another delay at the stand while the paramedics came on board to deal with a medical emergency.  We walked past him on the way to immigration; looked like a middle-aged bloke with a heart problem.  We flew through immigration - no fingerprints! - and the delay meant the luggage was on the carousel.  Luckily Carolyn drove; David was whacked.  Doraleen was waiting for us when we arrived just after 7:30.  A quick bite of...

Well, here we are at Manchester Airport waiting to get on our plane. We were due to take off at 10:35, but due to various delays we’re not due to depart until 1:00. Sigh. It’s pouring outside, but hopefully this evening we’ll be in Florida!

We’re off to Florida again! Yea! We fly to Orlando on 9th February for three weeks staying with Larry and Dorie as usual. So watch this space.