Irony is being at an event you've waited months on, and yet you don't have the glasses to look at it. I'd ordered them, and I'd been certain to check the date, but the glasses were now scheduled to arrive...after the eclipse.
The morning of the eclipse, I was on a full-speed schedule, and had to run an errand before I could start on my journey toward totality so I didn't even think to see if Wal-Mart had any glasses before I raced away.
I didn't know exactly where I'd stop but my wish was to go to Broken Bow, Oklahoma, because it's beautiful even on cloudy days.
Cloud clover was immense, and I didn't make it to Broken Bow because my husband believed we should stop at Lake Hugo. Hugo was scheduled to be a 100 per cent totality area so I agreed.
I decided to have the best day possible. My picnic basket, camera, and spirit of adventure were all at hand and I took photos of the nearby clover. Everyone else was also making the best of it more-or-less even if they weren't smiling. It didn't seem like the glasses were going to matter.
Cloud cover stretched across the sky.
The morning of the eclipse, I was on a full-speed schedule, and had to run an errand before I could start on my journey toward totality so I didn't even think to see if Wal-Mart had any glasses before I raced away.
I didn't know exactly where I'd stop but my wish was to go to Broken Bow, Oklahoma, because it's beautiful even on cloudy days.
Cloud clover was immense, and I didn't make it to Broken Bow because my husband believed we should stop at Lake Hugo. Hugo was scheduled to be a 100 per cent totality area so I agreed.
I decided to have the best day possible. My picnic basket, camera, and spirit of adventure were all at hand and I took photos of the nearby clover. Everyone else was also making the best of it more-or-less even if they weren't smiling. It didn't seem like the glasses were going to matter.
Cloud cover stretched across the sky.
More vehicles arrived and the parking area filled.
At one point, three men stepped out of their car, and they were laden down with viewing equipment, and they laughed...and it seemed they were laughing at the futility of expecting to see the eclipse. One other observer voiced his total lack of excitement for what he seemed to think was a washout. The clouds were lingering.
My husband teased me about the clouds parting, and his attention wandered to something else.
I looked up and thought, "God could part the clouds...for these people here." It wasn't a prayer. It was just a thought. "God could," I told myself and I had a feeling of faith in His power. The sky didn't change as I considered the view. It didn't diminish my faith. In fact, perhaps it did the opposite. I felt that a higher being could have that ability to part clouds. Pretty impressive.
Nothing happened immediately.
At one point, three men stepped out of their car, and they were laden down with viewing equipment, and they laughed...and it seemed they were laughing at the futility of expecting to see the eclipse. One other observer voiced his total lack of excitement for what he seemed to think was a washout. The clouds were lingering.
My husband teased me about the clouds parting, and his attention wandered to something else.
I looked up and thought, "God could part the clouds...for these people here." It wasn't a prayer. It was just a thought. "God could," I told myself and I had a feeling of faith in His power. The sky didn't change as I considered the view. It didn't diminish my faith. In fact, perhaps it did the opposite. I felt that a higher being could have that ability to part clouds. Pretty impressive.
Nothing happened immediately.
And then, the clouds started to part. They did. I really couldn't look at the eclipse because I didn't have glasses, but the clouds were parting. The eclipse reached totality and maybe I did glance up for half a second, and I kept pointing my camera that direction and hoping.
It didn't get dark immediately like I expected...and then it did. I took a photo and then about four minutes later I took another one.
It didn't get dark immediately like I expected...and then it did. I took a photo and then about four minutes later I took another one.
After the sky brightened someone started a round of applause, which faded quickly, and then another round of applause that I participated in. My husband kind of teased me and I responded with a happy-lifetime-event-deserves-applause type answer.
He noticed I was tearing up from the emotion of the moment. And so was he.
For me, it was a heavenly event. Even without the glasses. I had seen the eclipse.
And one of my first photos when I pointed my camera lens above gave me a great view.
He noticed I was tearing up from the emotion of the moment. And so was he.
For me, it was a heavenly event. Even without the glasses. I had seen the eclipse.
And one of my first photos when I pointed my camera lens above gave me a great view.
For me, it was as bright as any rainbow.
The photo kinda looks dark now, but this was underneath it.
The photo kinda looks dark now, but this was underneath it.
I don't have to wait for decades to see an event like butterflies in the clover, but I hope to appreciate the everyday wonderful sights around me as much as I do the rare eclipse...or maybe I should appreciate them even more.
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