For the trip I took my
We had minimal clouds, which were of the high thin variety, having no real impact. The eerie look of our environment as totality approached and reached was commented on by everyone. Rick's outdoor security lights came on as well, which added to the visual intrigue. Mary had bought a couple of small disco-type balls which were hung up and gave some interesting reflections of the phases of the eclipse on the surrounding porch and house. Theo, Mary and I also went around to the driveway during the partial leading up to totality, and with glasses on could view the partial eclipse reflecting off the windshield of our car. That was a really curious visual treat.
After the eclipse finished, I broke down my setup, and we packed all our stuff into the car and headed back to Kaye's apartment. We encountered some traffic backup, but it wasn't so bad since we were not trying to return to Virginia. We plan to return home on Wednesday morning in relative peace and quiet on the road. This will be a nice contrast to 2017, when we got caught in the post eclipse road trip mess! That was an awful ordeal we did not wish to repeat, thus our plan to spend three nights at Kaye's and let the masses evacuate the area before we head home.
So all in all this was an outstanding experience for everyone involved. The joy of sharing it with loved ones made it all the more special for us as well. The next total in the US will not be until 2045. Whether we will live long enough to experience that one is uncertain. The odds are not in our favor, but if we are still alive and have the ability to get to its path, we will do so! Witnessing a total eclipse is like no other experience in this hobby. It truly is not to be missed if at all possible!