My wife is not one to keep up with current events.  However, like just about everyone else in North America, she was interested in seeing the total solar eclipse yesterday. Alas, it was not to be.  She got her wires crossed on the time, and when she finally made it outside to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon, it was 3:00, and she missed the whole thing.

I felt bad for her because she spent a couple of hours on Sunday driving around the Youree shopping area looking for eclipse-viewing glasses.  Of course, all the stores were sold out by that time, so if she was going to see it yesterday, it would have been by the pinhole-in-a-box method.  BTW--I tried that yesterday, and it's not very impressive.

At the Townsquare Media studios in Shreveport yesterday, Jay Whatley was the only person who had a pair of the glasses, so we all took turns gazing at the eclipse.  What an incredible sight!  Those glasses are so dark, I thought, "There's no way I'm going to see anything."  Even when I first looked into the sky, everything was pitch black.  Then I turned my head a little and, voila!

I've seen my share of lunar eclipses over the years, but there's nothing to match the sheer awe with which you're struck when the sun starts to dim.  I found myself imagining what it must have been like for people in ancient times who knew nothing of the movements of the planets, their moons, and their revolutions around the sun.  They must have felt like the world was coming to an end.

If you're like my wife and somehow missed the total solar eclipse yesterday, not to worry.  There's another one on April 8, 2024, and it will be even more spectacular than yesterday's.  It's path will take it through the western part of the Ark-La-Tex and you won't have to go far to get a view of the complete occlusion of the sun.

So, save those glasses if you have them, and stock up early if you don't.  Cuz if you wait til the last minute...

 

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