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Random Ramjet Ramblings

Various thoughts and musings that tumble from my brain onto Ye Olde Interwebbes.
Last 4 blog posts:
50 Years

50 Years

The Artemis I mission occurred 50 years after Apollo 17. What will it take to not have this happen again?

Becoming Santa

Becoming Santa

Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Kris Kringle. St. Nicholas. Papa Noel. Me.

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-THE TRENCH-
FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER
MISSION CONTROL
BLOG

-THE TRENCH-

The space exploration advocacy website of Roger Balettie, former Flight Dynamics Officer in NASA’s Space Shuttle Mission Control Center.

Select a menu tab to the left for detailed links or one of the main sections below:

FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER

The Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO, pronounced “fido”) is a Flight Controller in the Mission Control Center responsible for the overall trajectory, or flight path, of the Space Shuttle and all related payloads or other space-bound vehicles associated with the Shuttle.

Read about the:

MISSION CONTROL

"Houston… Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Since 1965, the Mission Control Center (MCC) has been the nerve center for America’s manned space program.

-THE TRENCH- blog

Space- and NASA-based blog entries.

Last 3 blog posts:
50 Years

50 Years

The Artemis I mission occurred 50 years after Apollo 17. What will it take to not have this happen again?

Countdown

Countdown

It’s been 40 years since the launch of STS-1, and the excitement of that day never faded.

Hawaii 2007

June 23-24, 2007 – Days 10 and 11

North Coast and going home

Today’s pictures can be found here and here.

On our last full day in Paradise, Paul and I take to the road again to get more pictures of Kaua’i’s famous North Coast. The first stop is the Kilauea Lighthouse, which is also a national bird sanctuary.

Kilauea Lighthouse (2)Kilauea Lighthouse (1)
Kilauea Lighthouse (11)



Looking out towards North CoastFrom the lighthouse, itself, you can easily see the North Coast of Kaua’i as it wraps around to the north and west, towards the Na Pali Coast. That’s our next destination!



Hanalei Bay (1)Along the way, we stop at Hanalei Bay and the Princeville Hotel. Paul wanted to see where they had their anniversary dinner (two nights ago) during the daylight and get some more pictures… Hanalei Bay (made famous in the “Puff the Magic Dragon” song… “in a land called Hanalei”) is absolutely stunning. The variation in water colors with the mountains right behind… magnificent.



Along the way, there are amazing views of the ocean, interspersing brilliant white sand beaches with black volcanic rock outcroppings… on the *left* side of the road are amazing mountain vistas and two *really* cool caves we drive past.

One wet:Wet Cave entrance



Dry Cave entrance… and one dry:



Mouth of the Dry Cave from the side
… so of course I went all the way into the dry cave. This is looking towards the entrance:



More scenery:
Waioli Huiia Church (3)Kaua'i North Coast mountains (5)
Taro fields in Hanalei Valley (2)Hanalei Valley (4)



One-lane bridgeOn our way out of the Hanalei Valley, we had to go over several narrow, one-lane bridges… this one was really cool, so of course I had to get pictures of it:



Bridge and fish headBut wait… what is that to the right… by the stop sign? Is that… hair gel a fish head?



Hi there!Yup. It’s a big fish head.



Yes%2C Roger%2C it smells… and it smelled really bad.



Sunset palms and MoonOkay. Back to the resort for one last evening of Paradise-inspired relaxation…

… then it’s packing… and off to the airport the next morning.

One long day of traveling later… we’re back in the “real world”, but we’ll never forget our time in Paradise!!!



(not an) endangered speciesFarewell Kaua’i Road Warrior!!!

Your inspirational traffic dodging will live on forever in my memory.

Bu-kaw!