Total Eclipse of the Sun

Reminded of a promise I made to myself in 2017, and currently not working, Don and I made plans to experience a total eclipse. Unfortunately, the clouds had a different plan.

A month before the event, I went to Lowe's to buy eclipse glasses. Asking the salesclerks about the special glasses brought answers ranging from: What eclipse? What special glasses? All glasses are by the registers. They are in seasonal. They are in Aisle 14. They are in Aisle 2. Someone was asking about them last week, they have to be here someplace.

It turned out a different salesclerk moved them from electrical (Aisle 14) to the top of Aisle 2 (above toilets) in an unmarked box. (Made up the aisle numbers, but you get the gist.) It was taken down, but not opened. I was allowed to reach inside and grab a pair at random. Fortunately, it was what I wanted: a pair of glasses with a pair of covers for our iPhones. No idea what the other options were in the box. I left to finish my errands.

Next up, finding a reasonably priced place to stay. At $300 a night, the Motel 6 more than tripled their rates. We found a place outside Buffalo that wanted $99 a night instead of their usual off-season $59 rate. The caveat was we would have to drive up the day of the eclipse instead of staying over the night before.

We went on vacation to Cuba.

The eclipse was set from Texas to Maine. If we stayed home, we would experience about 89% totality, more than we did in 2017. I wanted more. And I wasn't alone. Before, during, and after I heard from friends making wild treks to see totality. We commiserated as we looked at weather forecasts (what exactly did they mean by cloudy?). Friends who made plans to go to Vermont saw an amazing eclipse. Family who traveled to upper Ohio saw an amazing eclipse. Friends who climbed to a rooftop in Montreal saw an amazing eclipse. Family who rented a car and studied the forecasts and drove to the middle of Arkansas saw an amazing eclipse.

Friends, like us, who made plans to upstate New York felt an amazing eclipse, but did not see it.

Somewhere along the way we had a choice to make. Do we chase the eclipse or do we enjoy the plans we made in Buffalo? We still had time to get a refund on our hotel room.

We chose Buffalo.

Subsequent posts will be about the fun we had in Buffalo -- a city I never before thought about visiting, but now find myself recommending to friends.

Back to eclipse.

About a month earlier I saw a FaceBook ad from the Buffalo Bison inviting people to watch the eclipse from their stadium. NASA was hosting a free event from the stadium (or pay a dollar to have your ticket emailed to you). There would be seats, concessions, indoor plumbing, and someone explaining what we were experiencing. There was even a countdown to the moment of totality -- much needed since the clouds rolled in blocking the sun.

I've tried to write this post a few times. Had we seen the eclipse, the words would have flowed. It has been hard to write about my disappointment. I'll press on, disjointed as it might be.

We left home at 3 AM for the six hour drive to make Buffalo before the stadium doors opened at 1 PM. The night before we packed the tandem into the back of Don's 2008 Honda Element, and tossed some clothes into a suitcase. The weather the days before and after the eclipse were looking to be stunning -- sunny and 70s. The forecast for the eclipse, a little cooler and partly cloudy.

Look at that pretty sky! As we drove closer we were still optimistic. However, we were not seeing the traffic jams we were told to expect (and which one friend faced on the drive home). We easily made it to Buffalo by 10:00 AM, even with bathroom stops. I snoozed a bit in the car. Don was a great driver (as always). Still no hordes of people in Buffalo. Hmm... we easily found street parking for $4 for ten hours, instead of the garage parking asking a gauged $30 (as the clouds rolled in, we saw that rate dropped significantly). 

We found a cafe and had lunch. On one side of us was a family from Pennsylvania. On the other, friends from Connecticut. Everyone was buzzing about the eclipse. The line was super long for breakfast food, but no one seemed to mind too much. After all, we were all just waiting for totality at 3:08 PM. There wasn't much to do until then but walk around Buffalo taking pictures.

Around 1 PM we went inside the stadium. They were anticipating the place would be packed. We had most of a section all to ourselves. I set up my iPhone on a tripod and waited. 

The NASA program was lacking. If this was an annual event, I'd send them feedback, but as the next eclipse isn't expected in the United States until 2044, with the following one expected a mere year later, they have time to work on their presentation.

The NASA scientist explained he faced similar weather conditions in 2017, actually his were worse because it was raining, but then the clouds parted for totality. All was not hopeless!

They showed us what was being seen in Texas, as it became clear we would not have the same experience in Buffalo, they went quiet.

As we watched what was happening on the field from the upper level of the third base side, we would sometimes hear cheers from the lower level. The NASA scientist even quipped she knew the cheers weren't for her, but because the sun was making an appearance.

Quick! Put on the special glasses!!!

Take a picture (or 12):

The clouds covered the sun as quickly as they had uncovered it. 

It was amazing when we could see it! My photography skills did not do it justice. For quick moments we could see the moon cover the sun ... slowly, ever so slowly.

It was too hard to find with the special cover on the lens, and it was more cloud than sun, so we took the special covers off both the camera lenses and our eyes.

In silence we realized totality arrived. It was unlike anything I ever experienced before, and now I get why people chase eclipses. Why I suddenly have a burning desire to book a trip to see one -- but really see one. Why my friend Mike has chased them from Wuhan, China (long before the world heard of the city) to a part of upstate New York where it could be seen. Why people book flights to lengthen how long they would experience totality. Why the Woody and Linda booked cruises to be in its path.  Why 90% totality is nothing like 100%.

The air becomes still. The temperature dropped a few degrees. They turned off the extra lights in the stadium. We could see outside the stadium lights set to come on at night automatically turned on. We could hardly breathe in the stillness. No one spoke. My eyes grew as I tried to take in every second of the promised 3 minutes 45 seconds of totality.

I resorted to looking at an app to see the eclipse

Suddenly we saw a fast sunrise

Don's shot of totality

Then, slowly, I noticed a second sunrise. The horizon was becoming lighter. It was as if life was suddenly returning to earth. I could picture ancestors becoming terrified when totality hit -- or maybe that is simply an modern interpretation of what happened. 

I wanted more. I wanted a redo. I wanted to go back in time with the new knowledge and plan a better trip. I wanted a promise that if I booked an eclipse trip that I would see an eclipse.

The small crowd left in silent solidarity. It was late enough to check into our hotel, so we did. Within an hour the sun came out and it was a perfect day so we drove to the Canadian border and walked around Niagara Falls.