According to the news the space shuttle Endeavor, mounted piggyback on a 747, was supposed to take a final farewell turn around the Bay Area today. We live on a ridge with an expansive view of the bay, so I watched from the balcony with as the announced time approached.
But the time came and went, and I thought maybe I missed it. I stepped inside the balcony door to get a pair of binoculars — maybe I could see it as it went over distant reaches of the bay. I just stepped inside when I became aware of a deep loud rumble shaking the house. An earthquake?? I dashed back out the door.
And there it was, a 747 with the Endeavor, so big, so close, unbelievably close , maybe 300 feet directly overhead. And unbelievably loud — 747s make a lot of noise close up. It had come suddenly over the ridge behind the house, so there was no warning…