Space... the Final frontier

Since the launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis back on July 8th, I've been following Astronaut Ron Garan, aka @Astro_Ron, on twitter. I've also been checking out NASA's multimedia video gallery and their Goddard Pix Flickr page. I just can't seem to ge enough "space" stuff these days.

I can't believe my eyes, I can't contain my joy, I am beside myself watching those videos and pictures of our beautiful blue planet. It is amazing to me that I can be watching a video of the earth taken from the ISS, the knowledge that I am on that earth down below, kind of "watching my selft" from above. Does that make sence? I guess the best way I can describe my feelings is... it's like an outter body experience. How could I "be" in two places at the same time? I've said it before and I'll say it again... I love the age I'm living in.

I feel I must express my gratitude to the thousands who over the years decades have made a generation's dreams of fanstic voyages possible. And now I am looking forward to what will be next... There's talk of perhaps going back to the Moon (but I don't think it likely). There's the Webb Space Telescope, human's travel to Mars or asteroids, what other dreams are waiting to become reality? Only time will tell...

Father and Son: STS-1 and STS-135

Father and Son: STS-1 and STS-135, a photo by arockalypse on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
The picture we waited 30 years to complete. (hi reddit!)

This father and son team share this picture, the title says it all. They attended the first Space Shuttle launch in April 1980, and this month attended the last launch for the Shuttle program (aka, the end of an era). It's a great composition. This is not only a nice shot, but one of those pics that evokes emotion and even reflection when you look at it.

It makes me think of my relationship with my dad. How I look at him many times and think about the passage of time. I think of him when he was my age and I was a kid and how my definition of "him" has changed over the years. - Now at 43, I see my boyfriend's daughter getting ready for prom, graduating high school and soon starting college, and I think of my dad when I was Katie's age. I understand so much now....

It also reminds me of that bond that dad and I have always shared over photography. I suppose that since I was very little I wanted to be just like my dad. And I modeled my hobbies, interests, views, so many thinks after him. And photography was always one of those fun, challanging, "anything you can do, I can do better" things between us. I'm sure that at some point came a time when one of my "shots" made him realize the inevitable.... that now his daughter has aquired enough knowledge and experience that she has outdone him (although he would never admit it). Perhaps he has felt the way I feel now. Maybe he has looked at me and seen himself 30 years ago and also wondered about the passage of time.

I look at my dad and I see my past, my heritage, my future.... I wonder what he sees when he looks at me.

hey soul sister.... ain't that Mr. Mister...

I am soooo loving this song, I can't get it out of my mind, so here it is. Enjoy.