Exploding with Excitement, Just like the Spring and Summer of 1980!
Wow, all I can say is I'm buzzing. It only took a split second, a milisecond, and I've been sent on a journey back in time.
First I should start at the beginning. I woke up at 5 a.m. today. I wasn't feeling that great, and believe it or not I won't share the details with you! Not fun....anyway, I was also excited because we were going to wake the kids up and find a viewing spot for the implosion of Trojan.
To learn more about Trojan go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Nuclear_Power_Plant
But, since I wasn't feeling super good, and since we flat out couldn't decide upon a spot that would be a great vantage point, we decided to do as the State Patrol recommended, to STAY HOME AND WATCH IT ON T.V. Boring, but good footage.
I was feeling like I was missing out on some of the excitement really, as I sat in my jammies with my crocheted hat on (in case I wanted to run outside and see if I could glimpse a dust cloud) with my morning coffee and doughnuts that my honey went and bought for me.
My kids were probably really wondering why Mom and Dad were getting so excited about watching the largest nuclear power site in the world to be blown up as of yet be BLOWN UP!!!
You see, they're too young. They just don't get it.
The reporters were discussing whether or not there would be any ground vibration, and if the explosion could or couldn't be heard. Since sound travels slow, they said it may take a while to hear anything.
So I'm sitting there enjoying the coffee, and we make sure the t.v. is turned up real loud, because we don't want to miss a thing, I get my camera ready to take pictures of the t.v. (next best thing to being there right?) and BOOM! Down she goes. Well, now that was exciting.
My husband and I look at each other and smile, with the kind of smile that says, "Well, not as exciting as 1980."
And the kids are happy, but they think its no big deal really.
And then, as I'm looking at my daughter we hear it.... the rumble...... even over the t.v.
That my friends was the moment. The moment where I felt like I was 8 again. I felt the thrill of Mt. St. Helen's. And my husband and I felt the excitement of little kids again.
http://www.vannattabros.com/2006add/h4.jpg
Our kids thought we were weird, that it really wasn't that big of a noise, but they weren't there.
They didn't live it like we did.
Sometime I'll tell you my whole story, when I can find the old polaroids that my Mother took of me with a giant mushroom cloud boiling in back of me, the likes of seen only in Hiroshima.
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Thumblinks/msh_plinian_page.html
Those were exciting times, when once every month and a half or so everyone ran out to the skies to watch God put on one of the greatest shows on earth.
http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/Hopson/hopson1.html
You know, Man can create a lot of marvels. But to witness something massive, something spectacular and frightening, and to realize that you are so small, like an ant, a mere spec, is awe inspiring.
So they're not much, but here are my photos from the t.v. courtesty of KGW News 8 in Portland, Oregon.
And if you'd like to watch some t.v. footage you can go to my new baby @ http://inspiredimprovblogatorium.blogspot.com
7 comments:
I didn't hear it! It would have been cool! You know, one of those things that people always ask. Where were you when Trojan was demolished.. I get to say I missed it. Darn it!
Wow.
To think when we were kids, nuclear was the IT.
I grew up in Indiana, but remember the '80s Mt. St. Helen's explosion very well. We were at a Little League game of Jamoker's and the sky was hazy. I remember my Mom telling me it was because of the ash. That seemed pretty amazing. And to think, you were right there!
Yes, very scarry at first, but after the second eruption, very exciting. It belched a number of times that spring and summer.
The ash didn't get to us until it went around the world. It blew East, over Eastern Washington, then towards you and all the way around the world until it came back again.
I can't wait until I find those pics of me to scan and then I'll tell my story.
Great idea to photograph the TV coverage of the implosion! I can see why you would have been reminded of the Mt. St. Helens eruption. My husband and I hadn't turned on the TV that day (if we had one -- part of the time when our kids were little, we didn't) and so just heard about it in the evening. We saw the clouds to the north of us during the day but just thought it was a big thunderstorm up that direction!
As you can see, I was able to get the comments section to come up. I think the problem was with my laptop, which I was on when I tried yesterday.
Hey thanks for the comment! Were your kids about my age in 1980?
Well, J.D. was born in 1969, Jeff was born in 1970 and Tony was born in 1972. So they would have been in grade school and junior high at the time.
I was '71 so I was smack dab in the middle between your last two!
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