Totality

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Everyone was kind of nuts yesterday about the heavens, and the accidental passage of the moon between us here in North Americ and the solar orb.

We were not quite in the sweet spot, and I was not going to join the other lemmings seeking darkness at noon, though naturally I am not opposed to that on principal. I planned on a poolside observation of our 81% Arlington totality. We were not sure how it would go down…we pool people started to rally at 1315 under clear blue skies.

Olivia the Polish lifeguard was in command of the pool deck. We were under her direction, but she was lenient to her subjects.

Our little band grew to about twenty people by the time we got close to totality, including the Laplander who is losing her husband to dementia, the Spiritual Lady, the Doc and her grand-daughter and the other pool folks. Plus the Porters from the building staff. It was as close as we were going to get here in NoVA. It didn’t even get that dark in the event, though it did get palpably cooler. It was similar to a cloud coming overhead.

Really a non-event if you didn’t have the plastic sunglasses.

Observing through those things, the sun’s orb shrank dramatically, and we passed around a shared-pair to ooh and sigh at the magnificence of the universe.

It was a riot of emotion over something so small…if we had not known it was going to happen we never would have realized something was going on.

I understand that the Wyoming border was the site of major traffic delays as Colorado people stopped to take selfies with the state sign and the iconic Cowboy on his bucking bronco as they drove to the totality zone.

I am happy that it came to us, delivered direct on the pool deck, even if incomplete.

It was still a blast, and the event was followed in short order by dark clouds and a hug great thunderstorm, which frankly was more impressive.

All that Mother Nature Stuff in oner package. A little put out that there was no hail or snow. But majestic, nonetheless!

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