For Ahad

Ahad hasn't been here lately, but in reading the following article this morning I thought of him. Buzz Aldrin's book also sounds like worthwhile reading.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/06/23/aldrin.mars/index.html

Dear Carol,
Thanks for posting the article. If Wooffer and I were younger, we would volunteer for the mission. Wooffer could be the first animal on Mars and I could be in charge of the hydroponic vegetable production. I can see it now. All things recirculated, of course. No waste, no bugs, perfect plants.

Love,
Betty

On second thought, we would need bees. Birds would be nice so, bring on the bugs!

You know, it would be really hard to duplicate Earth, even on a small scale, without all the interactive lives that make up this Earth we live on.

Love,
Betty

Carol,
That is a great article. I have been off the boards for a while, just taking time out and reflecting on life, the universe and everything in between.
I do pop in and out of here occasionally, relishing all the many wonderful posts from everyone.

This vision of astronaut Buzz Aldrin actually got me thinking a bit.
As of May 31, 2009, the Earth's population was estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6,783,557,000.

I do imagine that in the course of the next 100 years virtually everybody out of this ~6.8 billion people on this Earth now will have passed away into oblivion having been born here, lived here and died here.

It would be a marvellous thing if at least a handful of us from this number could die having set foot on another world beyond this one. Surely that is what any creator would have in mind for creating all those weird and wonderful celestial kingdoms out there, and placing a number of them within our reach.

I imagine it will happen... soon!