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10:42 A.M.
_{"What goes up, must come down. And things that come down, usually must go back up. " -From: As Goes The Sun, So (Usually) Goes Lighter Than Air Machines, by Langston P. Doidlyplatte; English Department-Section of Writing Research -The Schteinn School of the Sophisticated Sciences (S.S.S.S.)}

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The Eclipse Chronicles Continues

To catch up with the story, here are the first 6 installments:
Eclipse Chronicles Part I: Prelude To A Trip
The Eclipse Chronicles Part II: Day 1.25
The Eclipse Chronicles Part III: Day 1.50
The Eclipse Chronicles Part IV: Day 1.75
The Eclipse Chronicles Part V: Day 1.99 Almost There
The Eclipse Chronicles Part VI: Day 2.0 - It's Here!

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Meanwhile

Such an odd feeling, to have the sun going down only a few hours after it came up. It was promising to be a grand event, and we were in just the right place to experience it all. The excitement was downright palpable. How dark would it get, and what would we see and hear? What WOULD the coming hour bring....? ~ From: The Eclipse Chronicles -Day 2.00

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Even Less Later...

Pay No Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain. But What About The Guy In The Basket?

At first look, we thought the hot air balloon reflecting the light above in the thumbnail, was the eclipsing sun, as it breezed past our tall trees. But no, just a bunch of well-organized hot air suspended over a wicker-basket full of people. Not the sun, but soon things actually started to happen with the REAL sun.

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Practice, Practice, PRACTICE

The coveted Mountain Dew cardboard glasses for viewing the eclipse. After all the discussion about fake glasses, HH decided to try them out, to see if they would hold back the sun's rays, as they reflect hard off our funky shade shelter made from a sad, dying space blanket. Her report: "they WORK, I cant' see a darn thing!" I GUESS that's good. At this point of the day, I'm still not 100% convinced about these el-cheapo spectacles from the convenience store.

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The Standard Eclipse Look ("Everyone's Doing It-It's ALL The Rage")

Further testing. Robinia, looking up to the giant gaseous ball as it begins it's journey behind the moon. She's very excited, "let's get this thing started". Neither she nor HH had a problem with the glasses. They were both carb loaded, primed and ready for viewing.

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And So It Begins

10:03 A.M.

So You Want To Be A Star!

Wilson² - always willing to lend a hand. As the sun began to move behind the moon, the shadows started to get funky. Using Wilson² 's colander safety hat, we projected the sun's shadow onto various immobile objects. Such as Wilson². And was he ever impressed. The shadow of the holes are not round, but show the sun as a scallop shape, as it heads behind the moon.

This was one way folks could view the eclipse if they did not have the glasses, to see what was happening. All you needed was a pinhole in cardboard or paper (or bring along your own safety colander), to project the sun's light onto any darker surface. In this fine rendition above, you can see the moon's shadow coming up from the bottom as it's projected on our spheroidic 'helper'.

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10:19 A.M.

Ooh Ahh

Things are getting quite dark. Our camp, one minute after totality. The sun slowly disappeared at first, then the process appeared to speed up as it approached full eclipse. All was silent around us, except the muted sound of the river floating by. There was absolutely no breeze. The falling and rising light was totally different than everyday nightfall or sunrise. I'm not sure I can actually put it into words, but it had a completely different feel.

Possibly it was because we were experiencing what evening looks like every night, only happening much more quickly. But the 'darkness' was eerily different from a traditional evening as well. I suppose one reason might be because we were seeing the lack of light from the sun while it was still up in the sky, behind the moon, rather than below the horizon. It was still where it should be during the day, just behind the moon. And only in our locale. Everything off the line of totality was still in 'normal' daylight.

What's interesting is that this was NOT like when the sun suddenly dips behind a dark cloud on a sunny day. Where you can actually see the change instantly. This was not instantaneous, yet somewhat quick from day to almost dark. Like something was wrong with the sky. The sun and moon appeared somehow broken, versus their usual dance of day and night. I can see why the ancients experiencing this got quite wiggidy about it all. Making up all sorts of odd and crazy stories to explain what was happening.

Even WITH scientific knowledge under our viewing belt, it was still quite surreal, if not a bit spooky. I'm pretty sure it would be terrifying, if you had no idea what was going on. "Can the end of the world be far behind?!" Thanks be for advanced science in the world of today, in which we now live. It's an adventure of a lifetime, not a scary false run about the end of it all.

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10:22 A.M.

The Eclipse Dance

"Look over there." "Ooh, look over there." "No, wait, look over THERE!"

The neighbors across the water, all performing the eclipse dance. No one knows WHERE to look next, there is so much going on all around, at the same time. Way too much to fully view, take in and appreciate, during the 2.5 minutes of totality. This photo was actually a few minutes AFTER totality, when the sun was beginning it's return to normal. Which took a bit of time as well. But everyone looked the same before AND after the moment of totality. In a joyous personal abandon of total wonderment.

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The Gallery Of Eclipse Photos

10:18 A.M.

Photo by D.D.Schteinn

Not exactly an award winner. This was a quick, 'point the camera up and click' shot. Why? Well, after all the falderaugh about knock off glasses, I decided to 'test' them when we were almost in totality. In theory, you can stare right at the sun with the glasses on. I looked at the eclipse with them on, but with only one eye open. And after a few seconds, I looked down and took them off. As a test. I could swear it kind of 'wonked out' my viewing eye. Just like when you stare at the sun for a moment on a normal day, and it blows out your vision. It was not as pronounced, but that eye definitely felt different than the one I left closed. Psychosomatic? Possibly.

But I decided two and a half minutes of direct viewing once in my lifetime was not worth the risk of the REST of that same lifetime with lost vision. I guess all that stuff on the news really freaked me out. So, I just looked all around at what was going on in the environment surrounding us, instead of looking up. And later, viewed my compatriot's photos as an example, after the fact. Which was OK, as they did a pretty darn good job of it. As you shall see below.

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10:30 A.M.

It ended up being very dark where we were, for several minutes. It was not pitch black, you could still see, but it was quite dark. Then the sun began to peek out from behind the moon once more. Though subtle, it got lighter, yet very slowly. The photos above and below show the return of the sun. It was interesting, as it was VERY dark where we were, but as you can see in the photos, the horizon was much brighter elsewhere. In ALL directions. It looked just like a sunrise or sunset, in all 360 degrees surrounding us. The light was miles away from our line of totality. It was rather hard to get your mind around this, since it was SO different than natural events of daily life. Sunset is only in the west, not EVERYWHERE.

The folks over on the horizon there weren't seeing anything at all special. Like we were. It was just normal daylight for them. That made the whole experience even more cosmic. Only those of us directly 'below' the moon and sun interaction could see the twilight world in the middle of the morning, as we were. We three felt very fortunate, and happy that we were in a very very special place on the planet at that moment in time.

I read later that people viewing the eclipse from high up on a mountain, could actually see the shadow of the moon and sun moving across the landscape, as the sun passed behind and then returned from behind the moon. Much like on a sunny day, when the sun suddenly dips behind a large, dark cloud. They could see the sun/cloud shadows move across the landscape. But THIS would be SO much more pronounced. I'm sure that was amazing to see. Maybe next time I can be out a mountaintop. But as it was, this was SO spectacular along the river.

Interesting Side Note: I wonder if that was a special airline flight in the photo above. They turned a very obvious loop during the eclipse. What would the eclipse look like from up there? And did they have to pay extra, for a special flight to watch it? Or did the passengers just figure out WAY ahead of time-what flight they would want to be on during the eclipse time, from say, Seattle to San Francisco-so they would be airborne at EXACTLY the right time and place for the event. Passing through the line of totality at that moment. I may never know the answer to that one. We saw a couple of airliners doing this during the eclipse. Maybe they were just nice pilots.

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10:32 A.M.

"Jeesh Merl, THAT Was A Short Day Of Rest!" -Joe and Merlinna Riverside Swallow

Wildlife observations were a very interesting part of this happening. During totality, the 'day' birds all returned to their roost, and the bats and evening/night birds, such as swallows, re-emerged. For a few minutes. It was eerily silent, but the night hunters flew about above the river. The insects above the river returned too, when it was their 'time' in the light cycle. Then when 'daylight' returned, they all switched places once more.

This was one huge plus for us spending the night before the eclipse, camped out on the river. We got to see the 'normal' activity of the wildlife during the fall of evening twilight, as well as the early morning changes in the wildlife and bugs the first morning out on the river. Thus allowing a comparison when the eclipse happened.

It would be interesting to view other larger mammals, reptiles and such, during this event. But it all happens so fast, and is over so quickly. One would be SO un-likely to be lucky enough to see anything of the larger mammals in their natural surroundings, in those few moments of time. I would love to be around a dog or cat when it happened, to see what THEY thought about all of this. If anyone out there noticed this action (or lack of) during the eclipse, please let me know what you discovered with your pets.

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10:18 A.M.

Photo by @haphazard-hstead

HH took this photo during the total eclipse. She claims it looks a bit like a Euglenoid waterbug, but it sure is a whole lot better than the one I took. But just wait, the best is yet to come...

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The Ultimate Photo Of The Total Eclipse Of The Sun

10:18 A.M.??

Solar Eclipse -by Robinia

_{Her camera said 10:08, but we're quite sure that is not correct. Not sure her camera was set correctly}

The sun in eclipse shows the Baily's Beads, those areas where sun is showing in larger 'clumps' along the moon's edge. This is caused by the un-even surface of the moon at the edges of the moon's surface. The red spots are (I think) the chromosphere from the sun, showing through at these places of valley along the moon's edge of the eclipse. They are red because the hydrogen radiation appears red to the human eye. The white light beyond the moon is the suns corona, emanating from behind the moon. Please correct me, if my interpretation is wrong here. I'm no astronomer, that's for sure. Thank you Wikipedia for lending me your scientific knowledge.

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10:47 A.M.

After the eclipse was over, the balloon returned. I was hoping the pilots were landing to give us a ride, but that was not the case. They continued on, behind the trees, and must have landed somewhere out in the fields beyond, where we couldn't see them. That or they were running out of gas. Either way, I've never had a ride in a hot air balloon. I think I'll add that to my life-list of bucketure.

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10:49 A.M.

The Shifting Shadows

The sun through the trees and bushes made shadows that played all over whatever object was available. Here, you can see them projected on our tent, with the waning eclipse showing through the tree leaves. All the shadows had that scalloped look, everywhere we looked.

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11:33 A.M.

Here We Go Again

One of the many many planes, taking off again to head back home. Or somewhere beyond the river. We were lucky. They did NOT fly all over the place during the eclipse. They just flew in for a nice, un-impeded look from the gravel bar along the zone of totality. Maybe they heard that the river was going to have "Millions and Millions" of visitors, which wigged us out so much in the beginning, so they decided to fly in. I was SO glad they didn't fly around during the event. The eclipse was MUCH more pleasant in silent mode. Thank you, plane-meister people.
Our neighbors to the South DID yell once, a walloping "whoo hoo", after the sun started to come back, during the event. Our sentiments exactly, and we answered in kind. It was truly a unique, mind altering experience for all of us.

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11:25 A.M.

More River Wackiness

After the eclipse, a bunch more Beach Floaters in Zorries joined all the exiting airplanes, and started floating by our camp in droves. Whatever a drove might be. Either they stayed out all night upriver, or more than likely, hit the river the morning of the eclipse. They either floated down the river, or stopped on various gravel bars to view the event. The "MILLIONS of Visitors cramming everything up" just didn't materialize on the river. Which made us very very happy indeed.

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11:35 A.M.

More Beach Floaters In Zorries Sitting In Boats

Most were in 'normal' boats, unlike the day before, where every type of float-able watercraft was fully represented.

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The River Has Returned To Normal

Time To Pack Up The Canoe And Head Home

All good things must come to an end. And this certainly had been one of the best of those things. Unfortunately, we had to head back home that afternoon. After all, remember, SOMEONE had to walk back the many many miles, to find the Subaru left on day one in the park. Who would it be? Robinia, HH, the guy in the middle of the boat, floating up the river, without a paddle?

All our 'good stuff' was crammed back into the canoe, with Wilson² taking his rightful place on the large piles of gear, and we pushed off downstream. We were heavily loaded, but happy as a clam after seeing the eclipse. It's all we talked about, as we floated and paddled down the river toward the end of our journey. The event created very deep and significant feelings in all of us. Every one of us agreed it was one of the most amazing things we'd seen in all of our lives. It fully lived up to the hype, and then some, as an event of a lifetime.

We finally beached our canoe at a local hop-field and brewpub, further downriver. We wanted to stop for a beer, but the tasting room was having a private eclipse party, and was closed for public consumption. Large beer-less sigh [HERE]. After stretching our legs on the beach, it was time for one of us to start the LONG walk back to the car. Who would be volunteered, to wander the hot and sticky summertime roads to the waiting Subaru in the park? Robinia, HH, or yours truly.

~ STILL Not Finto ~

~ To Be Continued ~

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Stay tuned for the next installment of The Eclipse Chronicles

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A Short Sideline

But I Don't WANNA Go Home (What About My Eclipse Posse?)

Wilson²and his new friends from Island Gigantica. Clockwise from Wilson²: Airless Smashball, Hairless Tenny, Hairless Tenny II, and Fish-belly White Fast-pitch. We took them all, since Wilson² was such a great sport, and he helped out so much on the trip.

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Thanks for stopping in and viewing Day 2.36 of The Eclipse Chronicles. If you have any thoughts about Grand Eclipse Of The Sun Events, watching planes flying all over the place like a goofy 1960's movie, fake glasses and their potential consequences, the full meaning of watching an eclipse, or anything else this post reminds you of, please feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd love to hear from you.

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Please UPVOTE, COMMENT and FOLLOW if you enjoy my works.

And go to @ddschteinn -- There's a whole lot more...

_{Posted: 10/24/2018 @ 13:02}

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Excerpts From Late-Night Conversations With A Mechanical Cat

Fact Number 96