I went to a new #RepairCafe today, operated by Sustainable Charlotte. It's a great scene with lots of fixers, a big space, all sorts of home-cooked food, kids running around. Very busy, with a huge list of people waiting for knife sharpening. Too bad I don't do knife sharpening. 😀 I fixed two bicycles, one that needed brake work and a tire re-seated, and another that needed the shifters cleaned. Then no more bikes so I fixed two lamps. #Vermont
We have high wind alerts and as I watch the trees blow outside my windows... I'm also thinking about how many old trees we have around... and about how all our power lines are above ground on poles.
So if I'm not online later... there's a reason... 🙂
I just posted a long thread about our eclipse adventures, but this was the only photo I managed. I hauled my fancy, expensive astrophotography gear up with ambitions of capturing a lengthy timelapse, but none of it worked (battery wouldn't power up despite a full charge, mini PC wouldn't connect to wifi hotspot despite dozens of prior tests). It was still well worth the experience, but I would have loved to capture some better photos.
It is 6:17 AM and there is already a stream of traffic heading north. I am just thankful that we didn’t do anything stupid yesterday and that the dog is not stressing out like he has in the past.
It was… dramatic. I have thoughts. The first of which is that 3 1/2 minutes is not nearly long enough to wrap your head around everything that’s happening.
We left the house before dawn so my hat had not come out yet. But I am photophobic, and when we got out of the car, the world was far too bright. Eventually vendors arrived, and I discovered that one of them had a hat.
This is officially the stupidest and ugliest fitting hat I own. In its defense, it protected my eyes for multiple hours, and was worth every overpriced penny to me.
Eventually totality arrived, and I spent it looking slightly less stupid thanks to my ponytail holding the hat down, and slightly more stupid because of the eclipse glasses in front of my my glasses. I was in awe, and with an adorable “puppy” in my lap.
Spending an eclipse with a puppy and your lap sounds awesome, but if I’m honest, I forgot he was there because I was so blown away
My only good shot from totality (after I remembered to take the filter off the lens! 🤦♂️🤣). Totality was amazing and so I was drinking it all in. Temps dropped a good 10 degrees F, mosquitoes came out, the birds stopped singing, everyone’s solar lights came on, and it was incredibly dark. Really amazing!
And then it was over and everything started returning to normal!
There was of course only one song that could be used as the musical background 🤣
Not that I was just pointing an iPad with an added optical lens up at the sky. I wasn’t aiming for high quality photos… just more to have some memories of an amazing experience.
It’s nearly 9 PM and I’m watching a line of cars headed down 12 South into Montpelier, #Vermont. I typically see about a car a minute or so. Amazing the number of people that shared this celestial event together. #Eclipse#Eclipse2024
I looked into the heart of the sun. I saw a 360 degree sunset. I saw the mountains of the moon. I saw stars during the day and Venus shining beside the sun and the moon.
A few moments before totality everything got still. The mourning doves and insects went quiet. The light wasn’t like a sunset, it didn’t have that angle to it. It was just grey and ghostly. The high clouds made the light very white and grey, making you feel like you were in a shadow world. #Eclipse#Vermont#Eclipse2024 1/2
I can barely explain what I experienced during totality. It was far more emotional that I realized to stand in the shadow of the moon and stare up like that, looking at the sun. I wandered around in a daze, looking at everything.
Afterwards I felt hungover, confused. I still do.
I’ve read about how people say total solar eclipses are life altering. I never knew why.
Happy #eclipse day for all those who observe. I am not in the #totality path here in #Nashville, but the youngest daughter in #Vermont is, with a front row seat. And 7 years ago I was one of you and I took my own photo as a keepsake.