Here we are on the other side of the total solar eclipse. Supposedly it is the first one since 1979. I have a memory of making box viewers in the early 1990's sometime in elementary school which we didn't get to use because it ended up raining but that must have been just a partial eclipse. I have had a good attitude about the constant eclipse talk this last week because at this point anything that gets people all jacked up across America that is not divisive and doesn't result in the hurling of insults on social media is awesome.
I have to admit, though, that I will be glad to talk about something else now (school starts this week so that opens up a whole new level of Facebook hysteria). I am pretty tired of hearing about the great eclipse glasses shortage of 2017. I completely missed the boat on getting these. Fortunately, Justin has a welding mask.
It doesn't have a number on it but I guess most are 11 or 12 (I never knew a thing about these number rankings before) and my neighbor said sunglasses are a 2 so wearing both felt pretty safe. And who knows, maybe it was high enough on its own! It's his dad's old one from the 70's so it didn't say the protection level on it. Justin went to Menards last night thinking of buying some glass to have around (my dad has welding equipment at the farm and most farmers can do it...at least I assume they can) and a new strap since the old one was broken and he wants to actually use the mask at the farm and of course it was all sold out. The employee said people came and bought $100 welding helmets to watch this eclipse! Good lord...I hope they instituted a temporary return policy.
I was happy to have the welding mask and it eased my mind a bit (it's hard to relax when everywhere you look people are freaking about how the eclipse will blind you and your kids). Even with the mask I threw together a pinhole viewer at the last minute this morning. We have a cupboard full of cereal boxes so why not?
Well, it turns out my little cache of eye protection was a good excuse to have a spontaneous viewing party with the neighbors. To my relief, the kids didn't really care what was going on at all. Milo still has instincts not to stare at the sun and Ben looked a few times and actually enjoyed using the box more than the mask. Tessa chose to stay inside playing Duplos and she put together a lot of weird stuff without the interference Milo/Godzilla for once. She came running out right around the peak viewing time and took one look so there...she's educated now. They were happier under the deck hunting for rocks anyway.
We all tried to take pictures through the mask even though every source said not to bother and to just enjoy the footage the professionals captured.
This is my attempt. I don't know what is going on here. It seems the glass is showing my reflection and I guess that green light must be the sun but you can't tell that the moon is blocking it. My neighbor's son tried with his fancy camera he uses to take pictures of listings as a realtor and he didn't have any luck either.
Anyway, it was a cool experience. The weather forecast was questionable and clouds were possible but today the sky is clear and blue without a cloud in sight. I thought it would get darker than it did but the light definitely changed and it was quite strange. A chill even came into the air like evening. We saw 85% coverage here and that little thumbnail was quite a spectacle.
I saw this on Facebook and it made me laugh...It was fitting for us today and it reminded me of my dad's account of the last eclipse which coincidentally took place while he was in a welding class at NDSU. Also, my mom watched through a welding helmet today with her co-workers. Definitely better than worrying about those dumb glasses! There is another solar eclipse coming in 2024. I'll think ahead for next time...or I could just walk to the nearest dumpster and grab a pair this evening and hoard them until then. Also, I saw in the news that this state will be in the path of totality for a solar eclipse in...2099! Wait...I was born in 1983...hmmmm...never mind...
FYI, did you know there are superstitions out there that seeing an eclipse can harm an unborn child? And there are women out there who didn't leave their house today because of this even though science says that's just crazy talk? Most of them involve viewing the eclipse causing a facial deformity or birthmark. But...according to the beliefs of one culture, this can be avoided by wearing red underwear (?) and metal, like a safety pin on your shirt. In the old days women would hold a knife near their body through the whole thing. Yet another culture warns against wearing metal. So they completely contradict each other. I just can't EVEN with this stuff. Now, if my child has a birthmark on her face please don't laugh at me...
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