A Totality Awesome Experience!

It wasn’t just a totally awesome experience, or one we will totally never forget, Totality, for us, lived up to all the hype.  For months, years even, people have been preparing for this year's total solar eclipse, planning to be somewhere in the path of totality on April 8, 2024.  Crossing portions of 13 states, the 115-mile-wide path passed directly over Goat Hill Farm, and gave us front-row seats at this breathtaking event.  And the eclipse wasn’t the only special event.  After almost no wildflowers bloomed in 2023 because of the extreme drought, the bluebonnets put on a spectacular display.

The antelope horn milkweed was beginning to bloom as well.

Our son and daughter-in-law, Brian Wann and Debi Hoskins, arrived on Saturday morning and we had time for a nice walk before Brian's step-brother, Brad Hlista and wife Justine pulled in. 

 

Also joining us for for the big event were our grandson, Gage Wann and his girlfriend, Gabby; good RV friends Gail and Steve Dixon; and the Springfield Family, other long-time RV friends who drove in from near Houston. 

Emalee Springfield had big news to share, and Claire got in some good petting time with the dogs.  

Sunday was a big family-and-friends day.  A walk around the stock tabs and through the bluebonnets filled our morning; Allan and Jef came down for the day, and Cousin Kathy and Eric joined us as well.  Food was plentiful…John’s amazing ribs, chicken and sausage and all the sides, and Gail’s exceptional lemon layer cake!  

We were prepared…all of us.  We came equipped with a number of approved solar eclipse viewing glasses, welding glasses and t-shirts to commemorate the event. 

 

For several days leading up to the event, the weather forecast had not been favorable.  Cloudy skies and showers were predicted, and though we badly need the rain, there were prayers it would hold off until later in the day.  When we woke on Monday morning, our spirits fell; there was fog across the pasture and a light mist.  We ate a hearty breakfast, and got ready for whatever God would show us.  Brian, cell-phone controller in hand, took his drone for a spin over the place to show just how many bluebonnets we really have, then “parked” it at 1500 feet above to see how totality would look from above. 

Shortly after 11:00 a.m., we gathered on our back patio, eclipse viewing glasses in hand, and started to watch the sky.  

We tried several different items from the kitchen to give a "pin-hole camera" perspective of the event.

I had ordered a special filter for my camera, but of course it was delayed and didn’t arrive until after the big event.  I rigged a makeshift filter from approved solar-viewing glasses, and was able to capture a few images to track the progress of the moon’s shadow across the sun, beginning at 11:26.  We loved the Pac-Man-like perspective as the moon “ate” the sun.

Then, when we reached 12:37, I removed the filter and was able to capture the breathtaking view of the sun completely covered by the moon’s shadow.  

If you look closely, you should be able to see several red points of light along the edge, I think these are from solar flares.  In the image below taken with my cell phone, you may be able to see a couple of stars from the line-up of planets. One is below and to the right of the sun, and the other is in the far upper left corner.  Supposedly there are seven planets in a row, but we could only see the two.

The pasture was in total darkness, but we could still see the sheep grazing nearby.  They seemed oblivious to the sudden nightfall.

It was a Totality Awesome Experience!