The Discovery Traffic Jam

I went to the office this morning to take care of some bureaucratic odds and ends, then headed out toward my archaeological site. I was driving down Independence Avenue when suddenly everybody stopped their cars and just got out in the middle of the road, staring at the sky or pointing cameras. As traffic ground to a halt, I glanced over my shoulder and saw the Space Shuttle Discovery on its final ride, circling in to land at Dulles Airport where it will go on display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space annex. As I watched, it flew behind the Washington monument. Serious photographers had staked out parking places on the bridge by the Tidal Basin and had tripods mounted on top of their cars, I suppose to catch just this view. It was kind of cool, but it also smacked of a desperate need for novelty that made me a little nervous.