Sooooo, you guys --

I'm just going to say it - 

If you EVER have a chance to  

experience totality 

during an eclipse?

DO. IT.

I'm so glad the oldest informed us months ago where we'd be on 8-21-17.

Great planning!!

 

We got there early and found a little spot in a cemetery 

[where there would be few street lights] 

and enjoyed a little tail-gating away from the crowds in town

before the count-down began.

It was so great to be all together to share this experience!

We were too busy EXPERIENCING it to get a lot of photos - 

And while we're 'hamming' it up a bit here, it really was just 

so beautiful to see the moon cover the sun bit by bit - 

It was kind of amazing that there was still SO MUCH LIGHT at 98 - 99% percent

 

But as it became more and more dark the roosters started crowing, the cicadas sang their night-time songs, and the birds flew quickly to their trees 

while we heard dogs barking in the distance.  

[AND the pesky little biting bees went to their homes too!]

And to be able to take our glasses off during totality and see the ring?!

It was just an awesome experience!

I didn't take my 'big' camera 

[in my defense there was A LOT going on during this time of my life - just getting back from the Islands, headed to work out of town for a week  that night, etc.] so all I had was my cell phone - and hey - it did okay.

Still, but I found a few videos** on Youtube from the same area we were in - 

LOVE this one and how it shows the plane going across [that is in my photos] and also how you can see the stars to the left of the sun - just incredible -

And this one shows the darkness at street level - while we were not with this group - our little crowd up in the cemetery had much the same reaction - 

I think we were all just in awe. 

 Craig has a cool 360* photo that shows dawn all the way around - so weird - and wonderful  at the same time. If I can figure out a way to share it I will.

SO, I'm telling you -

 make plans for 2024 

 [that sounds so crazy, doesn't it?] It's only SEVEN years from now - 

and I'm thinking we'll be in totality once again -  

**Much thanks to JJPRoductions for sharing your videos!