The Great Eclipse!
While the 70-mile wide band of "Totality" was way south of here, way up near Canada, we were still in an area of about 88 % coverage, which is the most eclipse Stacy and I have ever been through.
So, while it would have been nice to have been in an area of totality, it was still an 'event' here too!
Yes, with all the coverage available on the Internet it was quite something to see it 'live' and a total eclipse even if it wasn't one here.
But we did experience, for the first time for us, the stark temperature drop at our 'almost totality'.
At our new offices, we all were watching as the moon progressed along the right edge and arched to the lower left of the sun from our angle.
As the timers ticked down to what would be the most coverage for us we all stepped out side at the back of the building and watched through our various protective devices, Jessica had an official pair of approved Eclipse glasses, April brought her husbands welding helmet, Carol tried various things that didn't work, so she used my and Stacy's welder's glass as we had a large square of it at home and brought that for the event.
In a real "DOH" moment for me, I didn't bring any of my cameras except my phone! I could have gotten some good time lapse or some better photos of the eclipse with my Nikon's, But no, I didn't think about it that morning!
While the 70-mile wide band of "Totality" was way south of here, way up near Canada, we were still in an area of about 88 % coverage, which is the most eclipse Stacy and I have ever been through.
So, while it would have been nice to have been in an area of totality, it was still an 'event' here too!
Yes, with all the coverage available on the Internet it was quite something to see it 'live' and a total eclipse even if it wasn't one here.
But we did experience, for the first time for us, the stark temperature drop at our 'almost totality'.
At our new offices, we all were watching as the moon progressed along the right edge and arched to the lower left of the sun from our angle.
As the timers ticked down to what would be the most coverage for us we all stepped out side at the back of the building and watched through our various protective devices, Jessica had an official pair of approved Eclipse glasses, April brought her husbands welding helmet, Carol tried various things that didn't work, so she used my and Stacy's welder's glass as we had a large square of it at home and brought that for the event.
In a real "DOH" moment for me, I didn't bring any of my cameras except my phone! I could have gotten some good time lapse or some better photos of the eclipse with my Nikon's, But no, I didn't think about it that morning!
Above: Stacy, April, and Jessica. Stacy holding our welder's glass, April looking through her helmet. I tried to get a photo with April wearing the helmet but she was on to me and was careful NOT to wear it! Jessica was trying to get her "eclipse selfie".
Above: I actually needed to include a 'before' or 'after' photo for comparison, but this is the back property of the building in the subdued light of the eclipse.
Below: The best shot I was able to get with my phone, the almost peak eclipse through my sunglasses and the welder's glass. I cropped it in but it's not in good enough focus for anything bigger. :(
Above: Actually, the 'old school' method of the pin hole on a piece of paper turned out to be a better way to see the eclipse with cell phone cameras, here about peak eclipse for us.
As I mentioned above, it actually got cold at the eclipse peak. It had been cool at low 50s that morning but before the eclipse, it was in the mid-60s. It dropped back into the 50s at the peak.
So, we really liked it! We talked about the partial eclipses we have seen over the years while living in California. I recalled the last one I really remember happening, and it was a partial eclipse in the 1990s I think. I have VHS video showing that eclipse on the white hood of my work truck with the pinhole camera method to the family.
Stacy and I are now planning to be in Texas on the morning of April 8th, 2024, to see the next Total Eclipse here in the US!
I read a lot about how being there in person makes the difference. In watching the various videos, especially from the people I follow on YouTube like Morton's on the Move, Keep Your Daydream, and, Less Junk More Journey, those videos made us both want to be there, if possible and we're still around, so it's in the books so to speak as a destination. We should be about 4 years into our retirement so getting there shouldn't be a problem!
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