It was, actually, very cool.
Today was the big day, August 21, total eclipse of the sun traveling across the U.S.A. My hometown, Salem, Oregon, one of the first in the path of “totality.”
Dire predictions were made about millions of people descending upon us, traffic jams, gas shortages, etc. Nah. Not bad.
But those two minutes ( 1 minute and 57.6 seconds) when we could whip off our 99-cent eclipse shades and look directly at the moon covering the sun…worth it. Totally.
My husband and I did not go to a viewing party at Willamette University or the state fairgrounds or the baseball auditorium. We went out to the farm and sat between a filbert orchard and a berry field, joined by family from out-of-state.
When the moment arrived, we whooped and hollered and said how cool it was and that we wanted to see the next one in Argentina. And then those needing to return to Seattle hit the road immediately. Hubby and I lingered at the farm with my parents and other family members.
The time leading up to totality was nice, too. How it got still, quiet. The way the light changed and the temperature dropped. The chickens up at the house going back under cover. (See slides below.)
Now I’m home, thinking it’s time to get back to ordinary life again after a few days with visiting family, preceded by a few days of cleaning in preparation for the guests. Sigh.
Back to canning peaches. Back to finishing the novel. Back to conferring about new covers for the books, paying bills, watering the garden.
Back to my regularly scheduled life.
Were you in the path of totality? Have you ever experienced a total eclipse of the sun?
Leave your comments below :).
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So glad you saw it – and a good view in the spaces that you love. I will never, ever regret going to Svalbard for the last one.
Many people have seen a partial, and wonder what the fuss is about. Totality is mindblowing, or as my friend said, it’s almost spiritual.
I’m ready to try and see more!
Yes. I too have experienced totality. There was one in the uk sometime round the turn of the century. It was a sunny day and so the impact wad stunning. Conversely out recent partial was shite because it was raining so the sun wad obscured by clouds and it was pretty much dark anyway.
I have no idea why my auto correct resolutely changes was to wad every time. But you get my gist I hope. 😉
Having the right weather and time of day is definitely a factor. We had one in 1979 and it was February, early morning, clouds. No big deal. So my expectations were not grand, thus making this event even more stunning!