Category: photograhy

totality

when you’re in the path of a total eclipse,

the day becomes night, and the temperature dips;

the stars all come out, as the moon and the sun

embrace one another — becoming as one.

and in some weird way, it touches your soul

when the sun in the sky becomes a black hole,

it’s so surreal — yet a beautiful thing —

and it ends with a kiss and a diamond ring.

–composite photo by me

Mission Accomplished!

We headed out on our 2000 mile odyssey early Sunday morning. Aaron brought his girlfriend along, so I rode in the back with my daughter Chelsea, where I had no view for pictures all the way there and back, but I was just happy to be going.

Chelsea had never been out of Minnesota, so we had to stop for her to get a shot of the Indiana sign. It was in the seventies and the grass was so green.

We went to Terre Haute (with 50,000 others), and found a park full of anxious folks waiting for the show. As it starting dimming, I felt like I was about to pass out. Very strange. It was nearly impossible to get a shot through the eclipse glasses.

It’s off-center, but I managed to find the sun and get a clear shot. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and when the crowd broke out cheering, the tears were streaming down my cheeks.

We were on our way back when the van just shut down completely in four lanes of heavy traffic. We got it started again, somehow, and limped to a garage. The mechanic fixed some kind of sensor problem, and we were back on the road. About 300 miles from home, a bearing in the front wheel started howling, but we pushed on, and finally made it home.

If you’ve only seen partial eclipses, you wouldn’t believe how dramatic and wonderful a total is; there is no way to convey it on paper. This will be a cherished memory for the rest of my life!

–Photo by me

Eclipse bound

My son Aaron and I are surmounting some final hurdles this morning before we head out for Indiana to see the eclipse. I’m pretty sure this is my final opportunity to see a (total) eclipse in this lifetime, so I’m pumped!

We’ll find a motel somewhere past Chicago tonight, and then head to Indiana or thereabouts in the morning, depending on the cloud cover. I’m hoping to get some good photos there and along the way. See you on the other side!

–Photos by me

Looking Back Quote

There seems to be a rift in how people feel about looking back on their lives. Some folks say that we can’t move forward while looking back; others say that it can give us insight into a bigger picture of ourselves.

For me, I think looking back (in moderation) is a good thing. For example, looking back on some of my earliest posts teaches me how not to write–and that brings me to today’s quote by Jack Paar:

“Looking back, my life seems

like one long obstacle race,

with me as the chief obstacle.”

–Photo by me