Knowing Knowledge - Total Eclipse of the Total Eclipse #SkywatchFriday #AtoZChallenge

We live in New York State,  perhaps 100 miles outside the zone of totality for the April 8 total eclipse of the sun. We knew that if we wanted to see the total eclipse we would have to travel.  But, given our normal weather on April 8 of any year, we also Knew that many early April days are cloudy. We could even have a snowstorm.  Going anywhere was a gamble. Should we travel west or easst, or try to stay within New York State?

After some research we decided on Rochester, New York.  We signed up for a eclipse watching festival at Rochester's Museum and Science Center (RMSC), figuring that if the weather was bad, we'd have plenty of other things to do.  If the weather was good....

Know what?

It was almost good.  In fact, April 7 was beautiful with blue skies.  April 9 was beautiful with blue skies.

But oh, that April 8.  If only we had Known....

Is this a historic building on East Avenue?  I have no idea

It started nice.  Here's the sky at 9:15 am as we walked from the parking garage to the RMSC, where we would view the eclipse.  But it rapidly clouded up.  

With the eclipse starting at 2:07 pm and totality starting at 3:20, we just Knew things weren't going to happen the way we wanted them to.  But that was the chance we took, right?

 1:33 pm.  The festival emcee tries to keep spirits up, explaining that someone he knew had watched a prior eclipse in a rainstorm.  Just before totality the rain stopped and the sun came out.  And we didn't even have rain.  The clouds were from a warm front.

2:50 pm.  The eclipsing sun is in that picture somewhere.  But note how those clouds look.  So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

By 2:59 pm something strange is happening to the clouds. The temperature is noticeably dropping. The clouds are getting - lumpy.  It's also a little darker than the picture shows - my iPhone 13 mini was doing some automatic light adjustment.  I wish I had known how to stop it.

3:09 pm, 11 minutes before totality.

3:18 pm, two minutes before totality.   It was darker than it looks.  Meanwhile, the temperature had dropped even more.  It was getting darker and darker.  I felt a breeze.

3:20 pm.  A shadow swept across the parking lot where we were watching.  This is my fourth total solar eclipse but I've never seen one totally clouded up.   We can't see the sun, but I Knew, with my eclipse experience's Knowing Knowledge that totality has arrived.

Part of the horizon is blocked (it really wasn't a good viewing location) and I can barely see the 360 degree sunset I know I should be seeing.  Meanwhile, the parking lot lights have snapped on.  Aaaargh!  The emcee says they tried to override the lights but couldn't. 

The three minutes and 38 seconds of totality have begun.  Elsewhere in the parking lot, a couple are getting married.  But alas, no sun.  Strangely, I can see two small crescents in this picture.  Can you? 

3:21 pm.

Reverse sunset 3:21 pm.

3:22 pm. and I decide to take several shadow shots on the ground.  Here's one.

As soon as it was over, the large crowd headed right for the exits.  We did, also, even as the sky brightened up.

The eclipse ended - or should I say, the total eclipse of the total eclipse, as my spouse called it - at 4:30 pm.

The sun showed itself again about 5:30 pm.

So, what do we know?

We are not in control.  Not on April 8, not ever.  I feel for the people in the crowd - from the huge buildup on media this is not what they had signed up for and I heard a lot of comments while exiting along the lines of "this was overrated"..  But there is always something to see and learn when you are a Skywatcher.  I can just hope I can view another total eclipse before my time on Earth is over.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers today for #SkywatchFriday.

"K" day at the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.

Eclipse Eve #ShadowshotSunday

It's my day off from the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  Whew!

Here in New York State, we are looking forward to seeing the total eclipse of the sun tomorrow.  Cities in around 29 counties in our state, including Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Rochester, Watertown, and Syracuse, will be able to see totality.  It won't be total in New York City, and it won't be total where I live, but at least I won't have to travel to South Carolina like I did in 2017.  Or North Carolina in 1970, or Oregon in 1979.

Our newspaper has had the eclipse on the front page for about the past three weeks.  It seems like The Weather Channel talks about it several times a day. 

A major New York State based supermarket chain is going to close all its stores in the path of the eclipse for a half hour on Monday.

Party time!

Smile but wear your eclipse glasses.

Nothing says "eclipse" like cookies.

I'm so fortunate to have seen three total eclipses in my life.  So I will try to be philosophical if clouds obscure the eclipse tomorrow.

If you are planning to view the eclipse, remember:  protective glasses must be worn at all times except during totality.  

Now, it's time for Shadowshot Sunday, brought to us by Lisa at Lisa's Garden Adventures.

On a sunny day in March, a baby tree in a protective sleeve casts its shadow, almost like it's trying to act like a sundial.

I can only hope that we will have similar weather tomorrow.

Tomorrow, "G" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Eclipse #SkywatchFriday #AtoZChallenge

A total eclipse of the sun is a natural for #SkywatchFriday, brought to us each Friday by Yogi and other sky watching bloggers.

But, although I've seen three total eclipses in my life, nothing prepared me for the eclipse fever that has gripped where I live in New York State.  Although it won't be total where I live, many will be traveling to the parts of the state where totality will occur.

One aspect of total solar eclipses I wasn't aware of was how the Indigenous Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Confederation of five (later six) tribes who inhabited this part of New York State before the Europeans came, viewed total eclipses.  Our local TV station posted a short interviewed a couple of Indigenous Haudenosaunee on one of our TV stations recently, who explained how their warring tribes were united in peace after years of war.  

One by one, heeding the teachings of a prophet called the Peacemaker, the tribes made peace. The Mohawk were the first, followed by the Oneida and Cayuga.   But when it came to the Seneca, they were skeptical.  The Peacemaker indicated there would be a sign from above.  A total eclipse followed, and the Seneca accepted the Great Peace.  

The four tribes then traveled to the final of the five tribes, the Onondaga, who joined.

The resulting Confederacy's constitution is said to have been a model for our United States Constitution

So this peace dates from a total eclipse of the sun which, in our calendar system, may have occurred in 1142 B.C.E. 

On April 8 the New York Parks system will feature an event called Ëgä:hgwáhdö’t – There Will Be an Eclipse, at the Ganondagan State Historic Site near Victor, New York.  I won't be there but here is the one sky picture I have from a 2016 visit to Ganondagan.

The event will feature Native storytelling and a discussion of the shared experience of viewing the eclipse.  I highly recommend a visit to this site if you are ever in the Rochester/Victor, New York area.

Today, though, you are probably here for some eclipse pictures.  I only have pictures (not that great) of the 2017 eclipse I viewed in Columbia, South Carolina in the afternoon.

Taken right before the eclipse began at 1:13.  Would those clouds clear?  They were hiding the sun.  Well, no spoiler alert here:  the clouds did lift.

2:22 pm. 

2:42 pm.  Totality!  This is part of what is called the 360 degree sunset.

The total eclipse itself didn't photograph well for me and my iPhone SE 1st generation.  The phone did some kind of light adjustment and made the sky more blue than it really was and you really can't see the totally eclipsed sun in its glory.  Alas, I don't own a camera so my 2024 pictures, if I get to see totality, won't be much better.

A building during totality.  Note the streetlight in the middle left is on.

If you look carefully in the lower left, to the right of the red thing, you will see two white dots. These are actually reflections of the eclipsed sun.  This was taken at 2:44 pm just as the eclipse was ending.

Another horizon picture - sorry for blur - I was too busy yelling to keep the phone steady!

Speaking of yelling:

My spouse, my son, and I were in the crowd in this video, but I didn't see us. (if you have an ad blocker, you will have to allow ads for this to see the video).  I think everyone there was yelling!

The day it got dark was seven years ago, now.  I hope the weather cooperates for us in the Northeast United States on Monday, but right now it's not looking good.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.

"E" day for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Gardens, History, Art and The Unexpected.

Total Eclipse Freakshake #WordlessWednesday

In August of 2017, my spouse, son, and I were in Columbia, South Carolina to watch a total eclipse of the sun.

We had no idea what a Freakshake was.  It's too bad we didn't check it out.

Turns out it had nothing to do with a freak out (panic) over the total eclipse.

Rather it is a dessert item you have to see to believe.   (click the link for an article on them)

I do wonder what they did for a total eclipse, though.  I'll probably never know.  But this article wrote more about the delicacies various restaurants served up for the 2017 eclipse.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

Snowy Thoughts #ThursdayTreeLove

Snow has not been common this winter where I live in the Southern Tier of New York State.  I would estimate we've gotten less than half the snow we normally get.  I'm noting here that our record snowfall for a winter season was 135.2 inches (343 cm)  in the winter of 2016-2017. 

But I finally have some snow pictures for you.  And some thoughts.

A tree shadow in snow.

A close up.

Love that deep blue sky after a snow.

Evergreen bushes.

And now, the thoughts.

According to our local National Weather Service office, Lakes Erie and Ontario have less than 2% ice cover.  This is important, because we are prone to what are called lake effect snows, fed by moisture from those lakes. At this time of year, the lakes should still be frozen over and in those circumstances, we don't get those lake effect snows. 

This winter, I don't think those lakes ever froze over. I think the highest in mid-January they were about 13% frozen over.  They should have been 60-70% frozen over, if not more. 

No ice cover now means we may be getting set up for a major dump of snow in March, and possibly even April.

So?

April snows, when they happen, are heavy.  Trees break and fall on cars and on houses.  Bad for the trees.  Bad for houses and cars and those who get in the way of the falling trees.  It's dangerous.

Also, there is a total eclipse of the sun on April 8, and the area of totality will cross New York State (it won't be total where I live, alas).  Thousands of tourists are expected in cities such as Buffalo and Rochester, both of which are in the zone of totality.  And both cities are near these lakes and both cities are known for their snowfall.

Buffalo's record snowfall in a winter, for example, is 199.4 inches (506 cm)

This may get interesting for those who love trees.

Joining Parul at Happiness and Food for her #ThursdayTreeLove.

Eclipse Eve and Eclipse Day #AtoZChallenge #SkywatchFriday

Today, for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, we visit Columbia, South Carolina where spouse, our son, and I visited for the August 21, 2017 Great American Eclipse.

On Eclipse Eve, we visited the State Capitol in Columbia.  The building was closed but we were able to visit the grounds.  We didn't stay long.  I think the temperature was around 95F (35C).  The clouds seemed to be coming out of the top of the building.

Countdown to Totality.

While you were waiting, how about a Total Eclipse FreakShake?

This is (or was) Busted Plug Plaza, which boasted a World's Largest Fire Hydrant art installation.  This has a fascinating history.  It's in storage as of February of this year, but is supposed to be relocated.

The next day, we set up at the state science museum where we were to watch the eclipse.

I forgot what these were skeletons of, but they were huge.

This was taken right as the eclipse began (taken 1:11 pm 8/21/17).

Taken 2:12 pm.  As the eclipse progressed, the sky started to clear up where the sun was shining.  The brutally hot sun got more bearable, too.

Totality!

Looks like sunset but it's only 2:42 pm.  The streetlights were all on.

2:42 pm, totality!  I wish I had a better camera than my iPhone 4S.

Right after the eclipse ended.  In the lower left (hard to see) is a reflection looking like a crescent moon that many saw right before or after the eclipse on sidewalks or other surfaces.

"E" day in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.  My theme:  Exploring South Carolina and the Eastern United States.

 Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers today (Thursday) for #SkywatchFriday.

From The Past With Awe

You Tube is a treasure trove of videos.  I could (but don't) spend all day on it, and not even watch a single cat video.

I was amazed to discover this restored footage of a total eclipse of the sun from 1900.

Yes this footage is 119 years old.  Here's the story behind it.

I've been fortunate enough to have seen three total eclipses of the sun in my life - on the Campus of East Carolina university in 1970, along a highway in Oregon in 1979, and in Columbia, South Carolina in August of 2017.

But seeing this video took my breath away.  The photographer is long dead, as is everyone who watched.  But, for us, thanks to modern technology and the Internet, it lives on.

And, to me, the most amazing thing is living in a time where I can see something like this.

Total Eclipse of The Mind

On August 19 and 20, 2017, my spouse and I traveled by car from our home near Binghamton, New York to Columbia, South Carolina to view a total eclipse of the sun that would take place on August 21, 2017.  It's a distance of about 750 miles (1,207 kilometers).

We almost didn't make it there, because I lost my nerve somewhere in Virginia.  I haven't admitted that up to now.  If it wasn't for my son, traveling ahead of us in his car, we may never have made it.

We were familiar with the route.  We had made the trip to South Carolina several times; to Columbia, once.  We would take I-81 to I-77 to Mt. Airy, North Carolina.  The next day would be a short drive to Columbia.

That is, until we hit the traffic jam in Virginia.  Much of the trip in fact, is in Virginia.   We are talking around 234 miles from (approximately) the northern border of Virginia to its intersection with I-77, and then there is still more driving after that. 

We knew many people were traveling south to watch the eclipse, but hadn't imagined this would happen.

The traffic jam stretched as far as the eye could see.  No construction was in sight, nor was an accident. 

My son called, a few minutes ahead of us.

"I pulled off and stopped at a gas station.  The attendant told me the traffic jam stretches to the Virginia border." he calmly told me.

Oh no.

We would never make Mt. Airy.  We would never make the eclipse.  We would never.... negative thoughts filled my head.

We got to the gas station.  We talked to someone pumping gas at the next pump.  "Yes", he confirmed.  "It's the traffic going south to see the eclipse.  It's all jammed up."

I called my son, visions of a 200 mile long traffic jam curdling my thought processes.

"I don't know..." I began. "I'm thinking of turning around..."

"Mom!" interrupted this young man in his 20's.  "You aren't going to give up now, are you?  I'm not giving up!"

This is what my son did.  He got off of I-81.  He had never been in the area. He had no routine, no preconceived notions.  He went for broke.  He used Google Maps on his phone to find a Virginia state road that paralleled I-81.  It was rural, and it was slower, but what was the alternative?

Believe it or not, after we started to follow him, we got back on I-81 a couple of times, and quickly found ourselves back in the traffic jam.  Finally, the wisdom of what he was doing sunk in.

That night, in Mt. Airy, in the motel room we shared, he told us of his adventures.  He had fallen in love with that part of Virginia, especially after someone flagged him down to tell him his gas cap was open.   He talked about the beauty he saw.  He's definitely a blue highway kind of man.

The next morning, the road to Columbia was clear.

I learned so much about myself during that trip.  I'm stuck in my ways. I have to unstick myself.

I have to relearn being flexible.

Not where I viewed the eclipse but I'm sure it was fun for the fans

If I had listened to myself, I would have missed this.

Columbia, South Carolina, day before eclipse

And this.

And this.

South Carolina State Museum, where we watched it, at totality

And this, one year ago today.

The horizon at totality

And this.

Sometimes, you just need a good kick in the pants from your son.

Winter Wonders - Lunar Eclipse

By the time you read this post, the best time for viewing a rare combination eclipse - a supermoon, a lunar eclipse and a "blue moon" (which will really turn blood red) will probably have passed where I live in upstate New York.

Alas.  This morning at peak viewing time (6:48 am) it will be around 11 degrees above zero F (-11.7 C).  I'd better bundle up well when I start my commute to work.  At least, I can see stars from my porch.

If I do get any pictures of the partial eclipse (doubtful, with my iPhone) I will post them on Thursday.

When I went back in the archives, I found this post from February 2017, for another rare combination.  Enjoy!

(If you get to see this eclipse,  I'd love you to mention it in the comments.)

From February 2017

Today features a rare combination - a lunar eclipse, a snow moon, and a comet.

Here's more on this rare combination.

On what I could call "Snow Moon Eve" (last night) I took this picture of the moon rising over my snow covered small upstate New York community. 

Here is another view of yesterday's snow. 

Sweet Tea

Welcome to day two of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost and #FlavoursomeTuesdays.

In reviewing 2017, I realized I had never blogged about the several days my husband and I spent with our adult son, traveling in separate cars (but together) from upstate New York to Columbia, South Carolina. It was the first vacation together we had in 11 years.

Our son helped us when the entire state of Virginia turned into a parking lot, with seemingly the entire East Coast of the United States having the idea of  traveling to South Carolina to see the eclipse. His young nimble thinking ran rings around what suddenly seemed like our senior thoughts stuck in concrete.

It's kind of funny - I had chosen the word determination as my word for both 2016 and 2017.

And now it was my son showing the determination, as one hour of avoiding stuck traffic stretched into hours.  My son led the way, as we kept in touch by cell phone.  He found secondary roads to escape Interstate 81, which had turned into a parking lot.  At one point we even thought of turning back.  That thought never entered his mind.

When had we become quitters, more interested in comfort than adventure? Yikes.

Fancy Gap, Virginia

Finally, past the traffic jams, we entered the mountains on the Virginia/North Carolina border and my son asked me to take a picture of the runaway truck ramps.

We got to our first stop, Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a couple of hours after my son arrived.  We had called the motel to tell them he would be getting there before us.  And the desk clerk complimented us on our "nice polite son".

The man who made fun of our garden as a teen admired the gardens of the South Carolina state capital after we arrived the day before the eclipse, and took this panoramic picture for me of the African American mural.  Yes, my son had to show me how to take a panoramic picture with an iPhone.

It doesn't look it in this picture, but it was a brutal, humid 95 degrees F (35C) Sunday with a heat index of 100.  The central South Carolina sun beat down upon our Northern heads (although I had protected mine with a hat).  After a few minutes of gazing at what the grounds of the state capitol offered (it was our second visit, and I highly recommend it, incidentally), we fled, trying to escape terminal roasting, to find some good air conditioning. (I must add here that I've lived in Florida, Texas and Arkansas, and summer heat is not unknown to me.  But I am no longer used to it.)

We made our way to a local restaurant called Rush's After ordering some broasted chicken, a young server came to our table and offered us some sweet tea.

Here, for my foreign readers, I have to pause to explain.  In the northern United States, iced tea is drunk without sweetener.  However, in the South, it is assumed you will be drinking sweet tea unless you specify "unsweetened".  My son had never had sweet tea.  I must admit, I do not like it, but then again, I am not a true Southerner.

If you want to try it out, here's a recipe.

But son said "yes" to the tea, as we all gulped mass quantities to quench our thirst. He loved his broasted chicken dinner, too - so much so that we ate at Rush's again the next day, after the eclipse.

not our family

Dear son, who hated the history museums I took him to (I love history, while he was a science person), explored the South Carolina State Museum with great enjoyment, while waiting for the eclipse to begin.

That afternoon, we used our tickets to view the total eclipse of the sun with hundreds of other people on their front lawn.

And the eclipse itself - our third, his first, we felt wonder together.

The horizon during totality, Columbia, South Carolina

At totality, I yelled with other participants while son exclaimed over and over "This is crazy!"

This video was taken by the local newspaper - I was one of the people screaming in that crowd.

I found out we had some similar things on our bucket lists besides viewing a total eclipse of the sun- visiting Iceland one day, for one thing (I'll pass on his skydiving goal, though). 

I don't know if we ever will taken another vacation together, but I do know I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.

It made 2017 for me, realizing that I enjoy the friendship (my non-word for 2018) of my son.

And there was that sweet tea....something to bond over.

Join Bellybytes at Mumbai on a High and Shilpa Gupte at Metanoia for #FlavoursomeTuesdays. If you want to share a food related memory, why not join us?

Day 2 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge #blogboost