Edge of Totality

After dire warnings by the Oregon Department of Transportation, I decided to avoid major freeways during the "Great American Eclipse" of August 21st, 2017 by hanging out with Molly near our old high school.

It was easy to get caught up in hype watching the moon slowly cover the sun through our eclipse glasses.

So exciting!

Ready to take pictures through a welding lens

It's starting!

As the moon progressed across the face of the sun, it started to feel really cold outside.

Although the sun was still far to bright to observe with the naked eye, it started to get dark outside. So dark that street lights lit up, and birds started singing like it was dusk. Overall, this was a really surreal experience. The light made the world look like we were observing it through tinted lenses.

25 miles to the south, audiences were in awe at the totality. We observed the sliver of light rotate slowly from the left to the top of the sun, marking the maximum point of our eclipse viewing.

As the moon moved away from the sun, we slowly warmed up, enjoying the reactions of audiences on the news while the eclipse moved across America.

Once the sky started to brighten, I got back to work, but memories of the morning adventure won't fade away (at least until Molly and I watch the next total solar eclipse in Mexico!)