Waiting for the Artemis splashdown. The capsule and the astronauts just went silent with the heating. Communications blackout. Everyone waiting. Heads talking. First trip to moon in decades. Farthest ever from Earth. Heating up. Visual of capsule. Noise on ground from crowds. Real life. Not the movies. Optimism and prayers across the nation. Data from capsule. Transmission. Small boats enroute. Navy divers. Intermittent views. Voice communication restored. I hear a lady’s voice. 19 miles to splashdown. 50,000 feet. Parachutes at 22,000. Parachutes out. Slowing. 220 miles per hour. Clouds. 10,000 feet. Major deploy: 3 huge red and white parachutes. 1 minute 15 seconds

SPLASHDOWN!!!!

7:07:47 CST.  The signal from inside. Four “Green Crew Members” — meaning all in excellent shape. Slow now. Boats to the floating capsule. Everyone hoping everything is okay inside. Still tense. I see a fast boat with divers. Time passes slowly. . . . 8:35 CST. They’re out!!!! All four are out of the spacecraft and into the floating “Front Porch” the Navy seals have attached to the capsule. All four waiting to be hoisted into the helicopters and to the recovery ship. All are safe and well.

At home, the silent sentinels guard the empty street patiently waiting, wondering why no one is outside, peering down the road, while inside their houses the neighbors bend and squint glued anxiously to their screens. Snowball Puffballs standing tall over the vacant streets. ‘What’s happening?’ They frownly wave-out in flowering plant thoughtese. (Has any human ever heard or understood what plants say and why?)

‘People.’ The Iris blossom speaks brightly back through her iridescent glory. ‘No plant knows what people do or why.’

‘Well said,” a trio of snowballs echo. ‘Well said . . . for an Iris.” The three snicker. ‘Who knows?’

Artemis was originally the Greek goddess of the hunt. She was seen as the daughter of Zeus, and she was portrayed as a very independent and adventuress spirit. The Romans, as the Romans did, appropriated Artemis and merged her with their Diana, also a lady of the wild woodlands who raced at night under the stars and moon in search of the unknown. By the so doing of our Roman friends, Artemis became associated in her travels and goings with the MOON.

Enter Artemis II on her trip to the MOON. This was the first crewed mission to the Moon since 1972. (Artemis I in 2022 was an uncrewed test flight.) So, it has been over 50 years since an adventuress of ours has ventured so far on a run in the wild under the stars and Moon. Many wonder why it has taken so long to pursue the hunt. Now is not the time to wonder such thoughts but to savor the success and safety of our travelers. The flight was amazing and wonderful, intriguing and frightening, and now we wait in anticipation for what will happen next.

Thank you Artemis II for successfully completing the mission, safely returning home and bringing the future back once again.

And thank you for reading.

Grandpa Jim