Rock It

Still in slow motion and too fuzzy to function, I had a bit of jolt this afternoon. At 1:08 p.m., a deep-throated vibration and long rumbling aftermath marked the launch of a rocket from nearby Vandenberg. It was the Delta IV Heavy Rocket, at 235 feet the tallest ever to be launched from the base, and it is said to be carrying a "top secret" spy satellite for the U.S. government. (A noisy sort of secret, wouldn't you say?)

This particular launch was pre-announced and publicized, but I don't tend to follow such things, and it took us by surprise. Windows rattled a bit, and the ensuing sound wave kept on coming. I ran outside to look at the sky, and there it is: the plume above the hills, looking west toward the base. The scene was otherwise pastoral and idyllic, a strange juxtaposition.

But it woke me up, got me thinking, launched me, as it were. And it's inaugural day, too. I am proclaiming it a new beginning. Again.