Memories of the First Moon Landing

In July 1969 I was 8 years old and I remember it was very hot. My family had rented a cottage for a couple of weeks of vacation in the Muskoka area north of Toronto.

I remember on some very hot days we drove into the nearest town to go to the Dairy Queen and have Mister Misty's - they were the coldest and most thirst quenching thing on the menu.

There was a small black and white television and roof antenna in the cottage. On July 20th I stayed up with my parents to watch the moon landing including the live footage of the first steps on the moon. I don't think my younger brother and sister were able to stay awake for it. At the time I understood the importance and was very excited about it. I remember looking up at the moon and thinking about the astronauts who were up there. I'm sure it was a factor in my becoming a life-long fan of science, science fiction, and astronomy.

I still have some 8mm home movies (now transferred to video) of the summer vacation at that cottage.

SolderSmoke - A Global Adventure in Radio Electronics

I just finished reading the above book and really enjoyed it. Bill Meara tells of his experiences with amateur radio and electronics starting in his teens and later as he lived in various parts of the world as a diplomat. It alternates between narrative stories and discussions on electronics theory.

As someone who also played with ham radio and electronics from his teens and continuing in adulthood, I felt a lot in common with the author.

You can find all the details here.