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| Thane's photo of the corona |
August 17: So, here we are at the Grant Co. fairgrounds in
John Day, Oregon. Months ago, we reserved a camp site here so that we could be
near some excellent viewing areas for the total solar eclipse of August 21,
which also happens to be my partner’s birthday. There have been predictions of
a million people coming to Oregon for this event, but so far things are fairly
quiet. Our rig is nearly alone, in a
large grassy space under a tree.
We need to find a good eclipse-viewing site now—something
with an unobstructed view of the entire sky, so that we can see not only the
eclipsed sun, but also the shadow racing across from west to east. Many locals
are trying to strike it rich by charging hundreds of dollars a night for staying
in a driveway or tiny space in a field. We have to find something affordable.
Luckily, we stop at the Chamber of Commerce office and buy a
couple of souvenir tee shirts. The lady there is a fountain of information, and
gives us a phone number for someone named Jerry, who might have an available
place. We call him and make a tentative reservation.
The town of John Day is quaint, and people are friendly. We
talk to a local who tells us that they are walking on eggshells about the
eclipse. The firefighters and ambulance workers are volunteers, and this is the
height of wildfire season. With so many people pouring in, it’s a dangerous
situation.
August 18: We leave the fairgrounds and go to Jerry’s house.
What luck! Jerry is actually president of the Chamber of Commerce. He owns a
ranch that overlooks a valley at the base of Strawberry Mountain, the highest
spot in the county . At 9000’, it has a snow patch near the top, even in this
very hot August. Jerry’s place will be the best possible place for seeing the
eclipse. Not only that, but he is letting us stay here three nights for $150,
an unbelievable bargain compared with other sites. Instead of spending today
searching for a Forest Service spot, we settle down to enjoy the view, drink
Pepsi, and relax for three days.
In the evening, we see smoke in the western sky. Knowing
there is a wildfire near the town of Sisters, which has had to be evacuated, we
are nervous, Sisters is far to the west.
August 19: During the night, Thane wakes and realizes he left
the RV’s sewer hose at the fairgrounds after draining and cleaning it. We call
this morning to ask if it has been found, but have to leave voice mail. As we had some earlier issues
with the campground manager, I’m not optimistic about getting the hose back. We
won’t need it for quite a while, but will probably have to buy a new one.
Another expense for a fairly pricey trip! The eclipse had better be worth it.
While we wait in the hope of a call back, we’re reading,
looking at the beautiful view (now smokeless), and getting pictures. Thane is
filling the camera with photos, I’m sketching. There are about 200 cattle down
in the valley, so I’m trying to sketch them. Who would have thought it would be
so hard? Cattle don’t seem to have the nice smooth shapes of reptiles or even
birds; they are built like tank cars with legs and snouts. For guidance, I need
a book of Gary Larsen cartoons showing cows.
Where is everybody? This wonderful site should be filled,
but we are all alone. Knowing that nearby sites are crowded and expensive, we
feel as if we have entered a twilight zone. Could it be because the site’s
owner misspelled eclipse on his sign?
August 20: The eclipse is tomorrow, but when we get up, we
are still alone here. This is downright spooky.
Around noon, another motorhome finally joins us. Things are
looking up. I’m spending some time practicing using the camera for a quick shot
of the eclipsed sun, but am pessimistic. From everything I’ve read, people become
unglued as totality approaches, and I may not be capable of actually taking a
photo. It’s worth a try, though.
More arrive by night. A family from Holland, some beefy
women from Washington state, others. All are prepared with goggles and cameras.
We bake and decorate a special birthday cake for Thane that
looks like an eclipse, complete with a corona of frosting.
August 21: It’s Thane’s birthday. Jerry’s wife Marcia has told
others about the birthday, and the Dutch family festoons our awning with a Happy
Birthday banner.
At about 9:30 the moon begins to move across the sun, and we
put on our special viewing goggles. No other excitement yet.
People coming into the campground are carefully herded by
jerry, so they aren't invading our expensive camp site or flying drones into
our air space. It’s good to have political connections, even here. It would be
complete chaos without his help.
At 10:10, the sky is changing. A dark shadow falls across
the clouds, leaving the bright sky beneath them. Shadows on the ground are very
crisp, but the air is dusk-like. Looking through our special eclipse goggles,
we see the “bite” taken out of the golden sun by the moon, which gradually
covers it entirely. When totality is reached we remove the glasses and look
directly at the sun with only binoculars over our uncovered eyes. The bright
white corona is visible, with a few reddish solar prominences. We have both
followed the unfolding event with cameras, and have made some videos and still
photos. It has been a highly successful day.
August 22: Unbelievably, we return to the fairgrounds and recover
the sewer hose.
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