Monday, April 8, 2024

Once in a Lifetime!

 The Great American Eclipse occurred over Dallas, Texas, between about noon and three pm, CDT, on April 8, 2024.  Donna and I were invited to join a watch party, so we packed up some snacks and chairs and jumped into a group of 50 or so of our new Texas best friends.

It’s true, by the way, that if you act decently and are friendly, Texans will go out of their way to make you welcome. But don’t cross them or you’ll be instant history!

The path of totality centered just a few miles to the east of our location, but we were able to see an awesome display. Enough said. Here’s our version:

The sky was perfect most of the morning:


But then the clouds began to appear and we got worried. On with the solar glasses anyway:




Things began to get a little dim. The dogs quit barking and the birds got quiet.


The clouds came and went, making for some curious photos.





And then….



The show begins!





The group was silent, in awe, for about two minutes. Then a universal cry went up:

The Diamond Ring!


While some license must be granted to a lowly iPhone camera, it was, indeed, a spectacular event. At one point, my camera asked me to move away from the subject….what, 90 million miles isn’t enough? Friend Mary provided unique “glasses” for our phones, which helped immensely. 

The next solar event in the US is noted for 2044 in Alaska. A better event will occur in 2045. We’ve made plans! After all, Donna will only be 97!

A great experience, and thanks to all our new Texas friends for the welcome!



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