The weather seemed quite nice this morning when we got up at about 6:30. Certainly not the cold and rain promised by a cheerful weather forecaster last night. We had breakfast downstairs at the Atlantis, walked over to the beach and then headed out for a drive to familiar places on the coast.
Everywhere: signs of fear for the future of the Space Coast after recent proposals that would scrap the use of the Ares rocket and Orion capsule to replace the space shuttle. This afternoon, a "space exploration" rally is planned in Titusville (across from Cape Canaveral. The issue is jobs. Hotels seem empty; the famous Cocoa Beach Pier and the usually well patronized bars at Port Canaveral were forlorn looking in the rain. Houses seemed in disrepair north of Cocoa Beach.
The people in this area are very proud of the space program and the prominent role played by local workers in its success. It's scary to think that the future will not live up to the expectations of the present.
There was no sign of recession when we went to 4 PM mass at Our Saviour's Church. We arrived late at 3:50 or so, and the church was packed with worshippers who seemed to have plenty of $$$.. We had to stand on the sidelines, so to speak, until Bob made me sit in a confessional at the back of the church. I made a spectacle of myself when I sat down and grabbed the non-existent arms of the chair. The two other occupants of the confessional glared at me, so I was not surprised when they washed their hands with sanitizer after the exchange of peace. It was not that bad -- feeling conspicuous has made it so in my mind.
The weather had already brightened by the time we left church. We stopped for a Subway sandwich that we had in our room, watching the walkers on the beach and enjoying the sunset on the Banana River.
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