While everyone else looked up in the sky, I looked down and made an amazing discovery.
When I learned the total eclipse could be experienced by traveling for under three hours to Wyoming, I mapped it out. Predicted traffic woes changed my view. I decided to stay in my own backyard. Experts explained that even with 94% of the sun blocked out, 6% would be enough to ruin the blackout effect. They were right and yet I discovered something else by looking down.
First I setup my camera since I wanted to record anything weird that happened, like a freak migration of owls or a coyote stampede. When that didn’t happen, I slacklined during the beginning of the eclipse.
I couldn’t view anything in those black lenses, so I kept my head up for once.
Note to Self: Wear blackout shades when slacklining from now on.
The scientists were right and the eclipse dimmed the light and cooled the temperature, but it wasn’t super dark.
But this discovery really excited me. I looked down and viewed thousands of eclipses. They danced upon my patio!
Click below to watch them dance:
They seemed holographic as if they hovered over the ground.
Here’s another video from Instagram. Watch them move!
In 1970, I used the pinhole technique to view the eclipse. This was so much better, don’t you think? Make sure to click on the videos get the full effect.
Did you watch the eclipse or the coverage? Do you think it would be worth traveling for the next one in April 2024 or do you live in its shadow?
Click for more adventures on the Wild Ride.
Don’t miss this blog tip post that didn’t make it into the Reader.
A day of discoveries in London with my buddy Chuck Dickens. (Another one that missed the Reader.)
We got bupkus here 2024 is our year LOL
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I’ll have to fly out. My birthday is three days later!
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Had hoped to see the shadow through tree leaves but no trees from where I watched. The path of totality was great though.
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That would have been so cool! I couldn’t believe that 6% would make a difference. It sure did. I’m glad I made the shadow discovery!
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That is a seriously awesome shadow effect! I was kind of envious of everyone in the US – we didn’t even get near the shadow in NZ! 🙂
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It was so cool! Next time it will be really far away, starting in Texas. Road trip!
Thanks for stopping by, Matt!
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Possibly better than the real thing Susie! We had an eclipse two years ago – around 83% coverage; it was cloudy, so it was possible to see it through the clouds for a few seconds.
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Oh, cool! I’m glad you saw it. The clouds held off until an hour later. I loved those dancing orbs and had never heard of them.
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Wonderful photos. I saw the same fish scale-like crescent patterns made by the oak tree leaves on the patio behind my apartment building. I wrote a haiku about it. Amazing wasn’t it?
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Thank you so much, Viva!
It was! Mine was an oak too. I wonder if they are special? Ha!
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The ground shadows were perhaps the best part of the whole experience!
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I had no idea! Where were you, Paul?
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Yay!! The shadows and eclipses shown through the trees were my favourite part too. 🙂
I love the way they were slightly different under each tree, and how they changed as the eclipse got narrower…
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Did you know about it beforehand? I discovered them by accident!
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Same! My friends and I just noticed them as we walked under the trees. I wasn’t expecting to see anything like that!
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Me either! It seems to be a little-known fact…
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Love those patterns … they look like little clouds…. so awesome… what an original way to contemplate the eclipse. Looking down instead of up… Excellent idea…. Hugs! ((and TY for connecting on Instagram by the way. Love your feed!)
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Thanks so much, Aquileana!
They did look like clouds or bubbles. I had never heard anything about them and had to share!
I hope you got the problem figured out with Instagram. I set up the two step authentification on EVERYTHING! I didn’t sleep well until I did.
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Hi Susie.. the IG was an awful thing… Pfff. No way to solve it… It seems it was hacked & deleted. I keep reporting it as I had read that some people recovered their accounts. But it seems this could happen if you were disbaled for violating certain terms/conditions. When you were “deleted”, there is no much to do. I´ll follow you if I come back, which I might eventually do. YES: two step authentification is a must!. Hugs 😉
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I’m so sorry to hear that! Bummer.
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No worries. I´ll be back in a few months (maybe). If so, with a different approach and double check validation on 😀 xx
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