The one picture I took of the eclipse
The Solar Eclipse was much more fun than I thought it would be. Once the action started we all headed out in the backyard to see what was going to happen.
We each had eclipse glasses and the girls both sported a JCCFS Eclipse Behind the Plow tee shirt. I don’t think Ruby Sue was interested in the least, but the girls insisted on bringing her along for the event.
The Deer Hunter built a small fire to keep the bugs away.
The girls laid on a blanket and I sat in a chair. While we were waiting for totality we talked and I read a few pages in a book I’m reading. Every few minutes we’d put on our glasses and check the progress of the eclipse.
When the sun was about half way covered we went into the woods to marvel at the darkness. As the totality crept closer we noticed the sounds of evening come alive with crickets being the most noticeable thing. Since we were camped out by the chicken coop we noticed three of the hens went inside. The rooster and another hen stayed out the entire time and although they walked around looking like they were confused they didn’t make a peep. And who are we kidding chickens always look slightly confused or at least ours do.
As totality was finally reached we couldn’t believe the darkness all around us. The small fire The Deer Hunter made looked like a cheery campfire on a summer night.
We continued to look at the totality of the eclipse but couldn’t resist looking around at the darkness that surrounded us. I forgot to look for the phenomenon of shadows on the ground, but Paul and Granny saw them just down the hill.
Just like the scientists said after about 2 minutes the moon began passing off the other side of the sun. The whole event was truly spectacular! While I don’t think I’ll ever travel a great distance to see an eclipse, after viewing this one I can surely see why folks get so excited about it.
Tipper
Ken – My father also had only a seventh grade education. My mother graduated from Almond High School. That was only the eleventh grade but at that time that was far as free public education went. My mother and father had six children. Five of them dropped out of school. Four of the five went back school, got a GED and continued on into higher education. The one that didn’t drop out went on to get a masters in psychology and childhood development. The one who dropped out and didn’t go back spent his late teens and early twenties helping his siblings further their educational endeavors. Then he married a divorcee who had a four year old daughter and adopted her as his own. He got a menial job and worked for forty years. In the meantime he found a child in distress, adopted him and raised him as best he could. A child totally unrelated! Just one child among millions who he felt God had led him to.
My father’s children were in order from oldest to youngest, Harold, Edwin. Rhoda, Freda, Stephen and Doris. I’ll let you pick the least successful one. I wish my mother was still around so you could ask her who, between her and my father, was the smartest.
I didn’t know any of your brothers but aside from you, Buster would have been my choice!
I don’t know for sure but I have a feeling that right before you get to the Pearly Gates there is a can with a sign that states “Put your doctorates and diplomas here. I already have ALL your records!”
tipper, sounds like it was a great day with family enjoying the beauty of the earth.
here in
pa, it was cloudy and we didn’t get to see anything.
I think I remember seeing the eclipse when I was in first grade or so…if not…I know my crs is at it again…lol
anyways sending love and big ladybug hugs
lynn
p.s. I changed to a different format to mail comments and now can post…yayyyyyy
Please TMc don’t rush it. In 2024 I will be a few months past dead!
Tipper,
Tomorrow, the 25th is Daddy’s Birthday. (With only a 7th grade education, I still think he’s the smartest man in the World.) Like Commodore, Jim, Annette, and Don’s dad, he was born in 1910, and managed to put 6 boys, all but one thru school. Buster quit in the 9th grade, moved to High Point, married for 59 years and had 5 kids. Daddy had instilled the work method in us all, and now I’m the Last of the Mohicians. Ken
The next one is suppose to be in 2024, I’ll be more excited then because I’ll be with in a months of retirement, bring on the eclipse.
Perhaps the pig was blinded by looking at the last eclipse and that is how your website got its name.
Dusty looked for some arc welding goggles for us to use but could only find a pair that you use for oxy-acetylene (I didn’t want to invest in a full fledged welding helmet. I couldn’t justify it because I don’t own a welder.) I thought the goggles might be good enough anyway but got flash burned when I tried them for a split second. Come the day of the eclipse I was content to watch only the effects and not look directly at the sun. Dusty, on the other hand, hadn’t given up. He put on his sunglasses and the goggles. That didn’t work either! I thought he had given up after but a few minutes later he yells “Dad, come and look at this!” He had put on his motorcycle helmet which has two visors, one clear and the other tinted. Under that he had his regular sunglasses. And he was looking through the welding goggles. He convinced me to try all that on. It worked but I have astigmatism and couldn’t get my regular seeing glasses on under all that so what I saw was two fuzzy eclipses.
I hope the neighbors didn’t see us because they would think we are crazy. We are, but they don’t need to think it.
I emailed you my one and only eclipse picture. It isn’t much as photography goes but is as unique an event as was the eclipse.
We are in Brevard, NC and we had total eclipse, but just as it was nearing totality, clouds moved in over the sun. I got one picture thru the clouds of the thin fingernail that started showing as the moon started leaving the sun. Disappointing, especially since we found out later that friends who live only a few miles away had an nobstructed view of the whole event!
Tipper,
I enjoyed the Eclipse with all my grandgirls but two who had to work. That was a Sight to behold, and just think, God planned this in His Creation.
While I was gassing up yesterday evening near the Huddle House, I heard a family talking about not getting but 11 miles to a gallon down here. I just had to chime in. I noticed they were from Michigan and I told them I had a neighbor who was from the Thumb part of Michigan. She said “We live just below there.” They had been camping and were headed back home. After while we parted and I wished them a safe trip. …Ken
My thoughts are that we have given rise to new word usage. ” Totality” has really caught on. As I remember, this is the 3rd partial eclipse of the sun that I have seen. I watched them all. One through a welding helmet, one as we were entering a small pine thicket to shoot crows, and this one.
I sent the wife to Charleston to be with her sister so that she could see it. as it turned out Charleston was predicted to be overcast so they went to my Mother’s house in Saluda. they had a picnic and clear skies. I am sure I’ll hear all the stories this afternoon when she gets home.
I checked and we are 99.8 % total in 2024 so I have a goal for my bucket list. (It’s really low on the list). Her sister is already booking a room.
Me and my viewing party should have headed to NC! Everyone was so disappointed and expected it to at least get a little shady. It didn’t happen. We were so excited as we hurried outside so we could put our glasses on and take our first peek at exactly 12:59 and continued to look every few minutes for the next hour and half. I think it did get pitch dark in a few places close by, but not here. Those folks who traveled from other countries and spent thousands of dollars here in Ky thought it was worth every dime.
Dear Tipper, I had a good time at my granddaughters “eclipse party.” She had invited a few family and friends and provided glasses and treats for everyone. We dined on Moon Pies, Starcrunch, and Sundrop. The funniest thing was watching the mules in the pasture adjoining their yard. They were happily eating grass in the pasture and then we noticed just before totality they had gone into the barn. Very shortly after – that when the sunlight returned – they wandered out of the barn over to the large hay bale which still had hay from their breakfast. They stood there and took a few munches and looked surprised to find they were not really hungry. We all laughed because they had only finished breakfast a couple of hours earlier.
Tipper,
We went over to our son’s to watch the eclipse. He took off work to be with the children since they were out of school for the event. Complete totality occurred in our area. Our son set up a device of a “monocular lens” positioned on a tri-pod that he sat on his deck. A large piece of black paper was placed under it and then he zeroed the device to project the sun directly onto the paper. He kept the lens cap on until ready to view the eclipse on the paper to keep the sun from burning the plastic components in the monocular.
He also made one of those viewing boxes and we all had the “specified viewing glasses”.
It was hot and muggy. So we would stay on the deck just for a quick looksee go back in the house, and he would take off the cap of the lens so we could see the changes by looking on the paper inside the sliding glass doors and out onto the deck while enjoying the air-conditioning. This of course was during the progression to totality and after the complete totality watching it move away. As total darkness approached we were all on the deck. Watching for the diamond ring, the bands and beads. I didn’t see the snake like bands but my son saw them…we missed the beads but of course saw the diamond ring. The cool down on the deck was eerie, we were sure the temperature dropped ten degrees. We noticed how quiet it was also, except for some confused cicadas…Soon as the sky lit back up, I heard two or three birds start singing their morning territorial song…Just amazing!
I really thought his project was quite clever! His knowing how hot it would be and my walking back and forth is not what it used to be…Our grandchildren kept up with it on their handheld devices conversing with their friends that were in different areas observing the eclipse. I thought that was pretty neat of them to get their friends different views of the eclipse as well. Sooo, all these hand held devices that seem to be attached to all teenagers hands are not totally useless….they actually can be used in TOTALITY….HA Did you catch that pun?
Thanks Tipper,
It was very exciting and awe inspiring. You had one of yhe best spots for viewing.
It was all a little eerie as the sky darkenef my cats sat watching out the window
No glassez so we watched on TV
Tipper, I love that Ruby Sue was also donning eye protection 🙂 Yes, what a wondrous sight it was! I had to work, but we were able to come out for most of it, as the total eclipse occurred we had a leading edge of a cloud come over and provided quite the show on the parking lot- it looked like ripples on a lake, just beautiful! Our Lord certainly knows how to put on a show worth stopping our busy day for!
Yesterday I heard that TriCounty Community College was ranked among the top ten in the nation, way to go!!
Many blessings on the day 🙂
We were just south of the totality zone but it was very close to total. I was just finishing swing blading and was soaked and uncomfortable. The eclipse was about halfway along by then before I looked. At the peak there was just a tiny sliver of red. Then the light was really odd, not like sunlight at all but more like a yard light. Along about then I was wishing I was up on the ridge where I could take a picture of the mountains. But I didn’t have time to get there before the light was back to near normal. I didn’t take a single picture.
We had fun, too. My wife said she really didn’t care about it…but got really excited as it happened. Alex and I had the cereal box projector.
We had 80% totality. But the next looks to hit us head on.
Those t-shirts are fantastic!
Yes, it was quite something. I watched from my back yard with my glasses on, of course. It seemed to me that without the glasses on the light level stayed pretty constantly till we were at about 1/4 of the way in. That surprised me a little, but I guess the light from the sun is so powerful that it maintains light and heat even with part of it covered. As more of the sun was covered I could feel the air begin to cool and the light begin to dim. It was pretty spectacular!