Day Two was spent at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which overlays the Kennedy Space Center. We stopped to photograph the nearby launch pads, which would provide the backdrop for our field research the next three days. The shuttle Atlantis had been rolled out to Pad 39A during the first retreat, to prepare for a November launch. Aries, the shuttle’s eventual replacement, stood on the adjacent pad, readying for her first test flight October 28th.
The four teams set up at Eddy Creek in Mosquito Lagoon. We quickly saw several manatees swimming near the deck. Large birds swooped around our group. Mrs. Howell wandered along the bank, photographing various plants and animals. A fisherman made two quick casts with a net and caught over twenty mullet, to be used as bait in the nearby ocean. Later Mr. Howell and I wandered over to the beach and chatted with another fisherman, casting lines into the roaring ocean. A surging wave soaked our jeans and shoes.
The wind was blowing hard, but away from NASA…allowing for the controlled burn we saw in the distance. Due to wind, lunch was moved from the scenic picnic area closer to the group. Mrs. Martin and Mrs. Arps didn’t wear matching Living Science shirts AGAIN. The chaperones had a good time preparing the meal, though the Sour Cream & Onion Chips were nowhere to be found. As lunch began, I whispered to the first girl through the line to request Sour Cream & Onion chips. Traci heard me and cocked her arm, ready to hit me as soon as the question was asked…and cracking me up.
After lunch the wind died down, giving us another beautiful autumn afternoon. Chap kids Laura and Mallory scampered about, running errands and caring for young Daniel, Cassie, and baby Simeon…reminding me of Shakespeare’s Rosencrantz & Guildenstern.
Mr. Howell rode shotgun in my Retreat Car. It was fun getting to know Brad, who I’d only seen once before, at North Point. A Thomson Georgia boy, he met Allison at a Swine Production class at UGA. Next to all the snuff-dipping good-old-boys in the class, Brad must’ve looked pretty good to the Dunwoody-raised Allison. Son Marshall is quiet, but popular with his classmates. Last year he helped us escape from the locked-in cabin, and Holt shared a great Rube Goldberg story, when Marshall added a powerful rocket to the assembly. Fine family.
All ELEVEN Living Science vehicles left Eddy’s Creek and turned onto Bio Lab Road, a dirt lane running through the heart of the reserve. The Davis and Landrum vehicles led the long, slow, fascinating procession, pointing out wildlife along the way. And wildlife we saw: great blue herons, ducks, osprey, alligators, wild boar. A wildcat stared at us while sitting in the middle of the road. Unfortunately, the vehicles in the back only HEARD about most of the sightings, over the communicators. This led to many students rolling down the windows and opening the doors, standing up and holding onto luggage racks to get a better view.
At most of the many stops, Mrs. Howell would hop out of the SUV in front of us to explore and snap photos. She was often joined by Marshall, who loves to collect and press interesting plants. At times Brad feared for his fold, when they journeyed out near the gators. Once I rounded a curve in time to see a gator slithering across the road, between me and Mrs. McPherson’s astounded SUV.
Another result of the slow ride: several gas tanks were dangerously low, including mine. Mr. McKenzie’s riders were reassigned emptied his SUV and headed back for gas, escorted by Mr. Taylor. I hit the first station I saw, and put 16.7 gallons in my 17 gallon tank. That’s cutting it close!
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