Life Stories and Beyond

 

By Lisa Batten Kunkleman

Eclipse, eclipse, eclipse.That’s sure been a big story on the news. You’d think it’s a rare occurance or something. On our farm in Charlotte, NC, crescent shadows shone everwhere. With no fancy eclipse glasses, of course we couldn’t look up toward the sun and burn our retinas, so we looked down instead.

A scientist on the news advised looking through a colander or simply down at the leaves shadows. I’d heard that another safe trick to see the eclipse was through the holes of a Ritz cracker but since we were fresh out of Ritz, we used a colander and also tried using the hole in an old record album to check it out on our cement driveway. The leaves worked the best, reflecting sickle-shapes everywhere beneath them. When the kids were little sometimes we’d use chalk and outline shadows. I wish I’d thought to do shadow art today.  Here’s my whine for the day. “With the kids away from our empty nest,  I plum forgot to drag out the chalk.”

My husband had planned on using his dad’s old welding helmet but one of our sons asked to borrow it. What are you gonna do? He took the helmet to college. That’s why we were reduced to using a holey kitchen gadget and trees. Afterwards, he said the helmet didn’t work as well as some girl’s eclipse glasses he borrowed. Of course.

We never went completely dark even though we were in the “path” but it got dark enough for our horses to neigh. I must say, it’s more likely that they saw us outside and decided it must be early supper time so there’s that. The dogs wanted to sunbathe on the pavement but I made them come back into the shade. Sadie Hound scared me a little looking up when I called her out of the sun. Hopefully she didn’t look into the sun. She did not understand that at all since she always bakes in the sun.

Speaking of eye damage, I’m wondering how many people will fear they’ve done something wrong in taking their glasses off too soon or putting them on too late or sneaking a peak at the dangerous orb.  I’d love to know how many people will go see an eye doctor just to be sure all is fine. My eyes are starting feel a little irritated just thinking about it. I felt like a daredevil taking a selfie on my IPad with the sun photo-bombing my picture. ABC News said that was ok but I’m still not so sure. Maybe I’ll see the opthamologist next week. It’s about time for a check-up anyway.

I hear a picture is worth a thousand words and I’ll bet the internet is blowing up with a thousand eclipse pictures. Here are a few of ours. Now I’ll go check out everybody elses.

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