Today was the day the world has been talking about for months now - the 2017 Solar Eclipse.
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| (Web Photo: PicMonkey) |
Scott wasn't interested in seeing it at all but I wanted to see a little bit of it. I saw right outside our Montana, sitting in a chair and watch it off and on with the glasses that a nice man from Australia who gave Scott his extra pair when he went out to pick up some lunch an hour earlier. The Mexican restaurant we went to last night had them but Scott declined a pair - I didn't know they offered.,,if I had known, I would gave got them then! But, thanks to Mr. Australia for helping me out. My favorite part of the eclipse was totality, but it was very cool to watch the progression here and there throughout the event. What a fun thing to witness.
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| My Eclipse Glasses |
Prior to the eclipse, I had some shopping I wanted to do. I went over to Hancock's of Paducah, a HUGE warehouse of fabrics to do a bit of window shopping. I actually wanted to get a center piece for a quilt I want to make. While there I saw newer some Kim Diehl fabric for $4.99/yard and the grunge fabric for my project in black and lime green for $9.99/yard. Sure beats paying the typical $12.99/yard rates! I stepped into the store and it really is just a warehouse with probably 50 employees hustling and bustling around - cutting fabric, helping customers, pulling things from on-line orders, checking stock inventory, check out, etc. They have a HUGE Kaffe Fassett collection, Robert Kauffman, RJR, Moda, Henry Glass, etc. fabrics all over the store. Plus, lot of eye candy of quilts hanging all over the store.
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| Fabric as far as the eye can see! |
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| Quilt done in Kaffe fabrics by the exit |
THEN, in the back by a corner door, there is a small door you can walk through and there yet ANOTHER huge warehouse of bolts, kits, FQs, bundles, etc. My, my! A quilters paradise! I walked away with only spending $30! I was so proud of myself!
I had stopped by Paper Pieces, just 4 blocks from me on the way to Hancock's, but they were closed and then I realized I was on Eastern Time still. I drove back over from Hancock's the shop was still closed so I bet they closed for the Eclipse. I'll have to go over in the morning before we leave. I want to buy the paper pieces and templates for the La Passacaglia quilt that I'm going to make in bright fabrics. It's all hand pieced so that will be something to work on while we are on the road in the RV whenever we are out in it.
So, now on to the event of this year - The 2017 Solar Eclipse! We didn't plan on being her for the eclipse, but providence was on our side and we stayed here for the event. Two days ago, no one was in the lot, yesterday 8 RVs and when I came back from shopping the lot was 99% full. There were only a few spaces that I could see. Everyone went out to the river to see the eclipse.
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| Cars, Trucks, Vans, RV of all kinds, motorcycles from all over! |
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| Taken during 100% totality in Paducah! |
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| A LOT of cars even back to the distance on both sides of us and over the wall at the Ohio River! |
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| Our end of the parking lot by the Farmers Market. |
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| What totality looked like to me. (Web Photo) |
I just watched from the comfort of my chair, water bottle in hand with my trust eclipse glasses.
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| Donning my cool solar shades. |
When I first viewed the partial eclipse I was shocked that the sun was so orange. A truly amazing, deep orange. I had Scott come out of the RV where he was working to take a peek. It was funny because he told his employees that he wasn't going to watch anything about the eclipse and wrote them, "I was weak and took a peek". Ha ha.
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| Web Photo by Jason Weingart |
When we were 2.5 minutes from totality, I could noticeably feel the temperatures drop and the sky really got fairly dark but at complete totality (of which we had 2.24 minutes of with sheer perfection), it was like sunrise yesterday with the entire horizon in an orange glow! The star filter effect over the sun was amazing and O.K., I'll admit it, I cried tears among my shouts of "woo-hoo" that echoed with hundreds of other people shouts!
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| Totality outside at 1:23 pm. |
Here's the stats from our location:
Eclipse in Paducah, Kentucky,
USA
Ends: Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 2:49 pm
Duration: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Totality: 2 minutes, 24 seconds
I didn't bother to take any photos except for this one to put on the blog and will leave that to the professionals so I can just enjoy the moment. I'm sure glad providence placed us in a good location to experience it. I have seen two other solar eclipses (July 20, 1963 and July 11 1991), but this one was really special due to totality!
Just as soon as the total eclipse ended people started leaving immediately. It's now 2:26 p.m. and I'd say at least 3/4 of the parking lot is empty. Good!
I may head back over to Hancock's again for something to do. Its hot and I'm SO GLAD Scott bought those generators even though it cost us a small fortune as we're here again tonight. The poor girls have been miserably HOT here and try to cool off the best they can.
Tomorrow, we'll be in Washington and Union, Missouri for two days for a bit more genealogy and then to Scott's brother's house outside St. Joseph, Missouri.
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