The Great American Eclipse

It was a great day. 

Started early (well, maybe late last night). None of the weather forecasts were cooperating. We kept checking and checking every site we could find. They all said the same thing - more likely than not to have rain or at least cloud cover starting at 1:00 PM.

So I woke up at about 3:30 AM - thinking that by looking at the forecast again it would get better. It didn't. But we had a nice breakfast at the hotel, and decided (at sort of the last minute) to go PAST De Soto and get into Washington State Park. If it was cloudy, at least we would be in a state park.

The path of totality

The details of totality at Washington State Park

The drive down was as smooth as silk. No traffic at all, and when we got to the park it was practically wide open. Now, it was about 9:30, so we had some time to wait.

We met several other Eclipistas, and did a couple of small hikes, rescued a tortoise who was looking like he wanted to walk across the road, and saw some petroglyphs (A Thunderbird, some snakes, a "three legged" man...) and just passed the time.

The Great Serpent

The Thunderbird

The Tortoise Eclipse of the Sun

It was HOT, and it was SUNNY! We were HOPEFUL!!!

We had purchased some treats (Cheese, sausage, bread, cole slaw, buttermilk pie) from Straub's Deli in St Louis (Thanks Gary​!) and some nice cold water (Remember, I was driving back to the airport later in the day) for lunch. Right as the first bite was taken out of the sun (11:49) we cheered (Still sunny!) and then ate lunch on a shady picnic table.

After we ate, we wandered up to the main Eclipse Viewing Area in the park (where the petroglyphs live) and chatted with everyone we met.

As the event grew closer, we grew more nervous. Ten minutes from totality (about 1:16 here) a big fluffy cloud passed in front of the sun. The crowd sighed.

About four minutes before totality, the cloud passed away. The crown cheered!

And then it happened. I can only describe totality the way Hemingway described going bankrupt. It happened slowly at first, and then all at once.

You wait and wait and wait and nothing happens. Then, minutes before totality, the light changes drastically. In our case, the whole sky turned amber. Like looking through ski goggles. Then BOOM! The sun is gone, it is dark, the horizon (in all directions) is orange, and there is a black hole where the sun used to be, surrounded by a stunningly beautiful corona. Stars and planets appear where they have no right to be. Photos do not do it justice.

Then 2 minutes and 37 seconds fly by (the fastest 2'37" in your life) and it's over. The process reverses itself, and all you have left are crescent suns in the dappled light under the trees.

I can't think of anything that compares.