The ClearDarkSky charts were dead-on accurate. They predicted a sliver of high cloud over the viewing site up until lunch time, clearing off by 2:00 pm (totality was at 4:30 pm). That is exactly what happened and there was not a cloud in the sky as the eclipse started.
A 99% partial eclipse is nothing at all like a total eclipse. As the last sliver of the Sun's disk was disappearing, you could see the Moon's shadow approaching. The already spooky light got dark, and we could see Venus and Jupiter. It wasn't completely dark, because the sky was light in the distance in all directions, just not where we were. The surrounding sky was a weird mauve colour. The temperature started dropping about 15-20 minutes before totality. I had to grab my winter jacket from the car.
The corona was a bright ring around the Sun/Moon, with a fainter extended corona especially above and to the right, just as the physicists had predicted. There was a bright spark at about the 7 o'clock position on the disk which I am guessing was a prominence. Three minutes went by way too fast!
I took the advice of the experts and avoided fiddling with the technology. I am glad I spent almost the whole time just admiring it. For me, it was literally a once in a lifetime experience. Who knows if I'll be able to see the 2044 eclipse in Alberta? I did (almost) get a photo of totality. The camera wasn't on a tracker, and I didn't want to hassle with it during totality. I just clicked the shutter a couple of times and hoped for the best. This is better than I thought I'd get.
I am filing this under "reports" rather than under "photos" because this one is laughable. It's proof I was there, nothing more.
Member of the RASC