It finally happened! And just like that, it was over. I know eclipse devotees make plans to travel years in advance, and, I assume, wait with great anticipation to view total eclipses. I imagine for them each eclipse must be filled with excitement and awe. Over and over again. Having now experienced a total eclipse, I kind of get their enthusiasm.
The center line of totality of the April 8th solar eclipse came through our backyard and we didn't have to travel anywhere. I don't know when we became aware of this eclipse, but we'd been looking forward to the day since getting our eclipse glasses a few months ago. It was exciting going to bed Sunday night knowing the event we'd been waiting for was finally going to happen in just a few more hours! My brain would not turn off, and I could barely sleep. To be honest, it wasn't until the weekend prior to the eclipse and we began seeing signs of the small town we live near preparing itself for the expected hoard of incoming eclipse watchers that I even began giving it much thought. Other than knowing we had a very cool opportunity to view it from our own yard, that is.
Long time friends (friends before marriage) drove about a hundred miles to celebrate and observe the once in our lifetimes eclipse with us. With insane predictions of traffic in the area, two sons who live in the path of totality stayed close to home and observed the occasion with local friends, and another son who lives near the Indiana/Michigan border drove a few hours south a day early to meet with some friends to make it a group celebration.
When traffic on the interstate became gridlocked 20 miles north of Indianapolis, our friends got off at the earliest opportunity and made record time taking lesser highways and back roads to our place south of Indy. Middle son's girlfriend was driving back home from a vacation trip, and was able to experience to some degree the eclipse in Ohio. I'm surprised to feel this way, but it means a lot that we all experienced the eclipse in totality and, even though our experiences are a bit different, we will have something of a common understanding when the topic comes up. It will be interesting next weekend when we meet up for April birthdays to see what everyone has to say.
It was impossible to capture how eerie the lighting was in the minutes before the total eclipse. And my phone camera couldn't do justice to how quickly it became dark and cool just before totality.
This was the best picture of totality I could manage with my phone camera. During totality, it was remarkable to view with uncovered eyes the dark side of the moon with the glow of the sun behind it. Totality lasted approximately 4 minutes here. We had the best seats in the house!
And then, with the moon continuing on its path, suddenly the sun's rays peeked out from the bottom right hand side of the moon, making it impossible to view the eclipse anymore with uncovered eyes. As the sliver of light grew, we quickly began to feel the powerful heat of the sun on our skin again. And within minutes, everything returned to normal.
Some say they feel deeply spiritual things during eclipses. I've experienced such when standing at the edge of the ocean, or driven into a vast mountainous landscape, or even sometimes when a dark sky roils with voluminous and contrasting clouds. In those moments, I have felt a sense of God being near, or have felt like I sensed something of God's greatness. Which I imagine must make Him smile at us as a parent smiles at a child's simple pleasures and understandings. God's greatness is far more vast than a mountain range or the yet unmeasured deepest depths of the ocean.
Maybe it was because of being with people, and hearing some cheering and clapping, and even firecrackers going off nearby, I personally didn't feel anything deeply spiritual at the time of the eclipse, but I felt a sense of thankfulness in that moment for being able to have the experience. I still feel thankful - and a kind of deep satisfaction.
Thankfulness, satisfaction... these, are of course types of spiritual experiences. But it was later, when I was alone with my thoughts, and even now a day after the event that I feel and think more about these things.
I am thankful to believe in our Creator God, who made the universe and all natural things within it. Perhaps for no other reason than for His good and perfect pleasure. That He shares this marvelous creation, and has given humans the capacity to learn and discover and understand things about how the world, even the universe, works should give us some idea of how generously He takes thought of us.
Thankful. Even as I head out in a bit for such a mundane thing as getting a root canaled tooth capped finally. A tooth that's given me fits off and on for over a month, and I hope that is soon to be all over. I marvel at the skill of the dentist who can do such delicate work as a root canal.
I want to remain thankful and satisfied as I do some more weeding between and after rain showers in the upcoming days and weekend. So many weeds! While I am always dismayed at how prolific weeds are, they are among the first hopeful signs of spring.
Weeds grow and irritate us, teeth crack and pain us, and eclipses happen in the natural course of our solar system's workings and completely awe us. The mundane and the awe-inspiring all exist at the same time. As I look outside right now, two young robins are hop-racing each other across the grass under the redbud tree that's bursting forth in glorious purple blossoms. And behind them are two bigger robins - maybe mom and dad keeping an eye out?
If the previous three paragraphs seem random, well, that's how life seems to roll sometimes, doesn't it. What I perceive as random is God's wonderful creation working as He designed it to. While made imperfect by man's endeavors and foibles, this globe we live on is still a marvelous thing - giving evidence of a Creator, not random chance.
%20resized.jpg)
These three photos were taken by middle son, Joel, about an hour south of us.
"For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers
or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created
through him and for him."
Colossians 1:16 NIV
We did not watch the eclipse. I knew when it arrived here as it was like a cloud had passed over the sun. Very short lived. Did you notice birds heading into the trees to roost for the night? Going into the mountains around us and looking out over the valleys confirms for me that, God is the almighty creator. I am awed by so much of His creation.
ReplyDeleteMarsha, we did comment to each other that the birds sounded different as the eclipse began to more obviously obscure daylight. Their twittering took on a bit more of an evening bird song sound. Unfortunately, someone in the neighborhood shot off fireworks at totality, and that became what I heard instead of being able to focus on the bird's sounds. When I was at the dentist today, he told me they have a few farm animals, and they made their way into the barn as it grew darker. And then they wandered back out when it lightened back up. That would have been interesting to see.
DeleteExactly. God's work in our world, the eclipse and the universe. ❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lord for another day and more of your wonderful to behold. :-)
You all be safe and God bless.
Good words, Linda.
DeleteHello, my friend! Thank you so much for this! We were cloudy here in Pennsylvania, yet we were able to get a glimpse with our glasses. (That I ordered at the last minute, and paid way to much for!) Your photos and your words created the entire experience for me, and I am so thankful! Have a lovely day!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Billie Jo.
DeleteBeautiful post ---loved reading it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sandy.
DeleteI'm glad you got to see the eclipse Becky our sky's were too cloudy to even get a glimpse of it. It sounds like a magical experience, you have a wonderful way with words. xx
ReplyDeleteAh, thank you, Linda. I wondered if the eclipse was visible on your side of the Atlantic. We've had so much gray sky and rain in recent weeks, it was pretty amazing to have practically clear skies here on the day of the eclipse.
DeleteVery nice photographs!
ReplyDeleteYour view there, the dark part isn't easy to get on camera, but the atmosphere is there.
Thank you, May. I thought of you and how you take such great sky pictures. It was the best I could manage, but I felt compelled to post them here as a sort of proof that I was there! :)
DeleteBeautiful photos Becki! I saw the eclipse indirectly, just looking out my window at my property, watching it get really dark then quickly light again. It was great to experience!
ReplyDeleteSo cool! We had clouds, but could still see as the moon was moving to cover our view of the sun and then total darkness for a minute and a half here... I'm glad you didn't have to drive anywhere. You and your family got some amazing photos!
ReplyDeleteI think we were two of the few people who didn't get overly excited about the whole event. Had we been in the path of totality it might have been more interesting. All the doomsayers that were predicting the virtual ending of the earth (what else is new!) were proven wrong yet again. Looking outside right this moment looks exactly the same as it did when the eclipse was on.
ReplyDeleteThat verse from Colossians is one of my favourites and so fitting.