Travel Zette

The sunlight slowly dimmed as the moon took bites out of the sun, yet we remarked on how light it still seemed. As the crescent shaped sun grew slimmer, it began to feel like dusk with cooling air and I put on my jacket. I was standing on a small bridge over a canal and there were now many little bugs flying about. As I watched the last sliver of sun slip behind the moon, the sunlight disappeared as if a switch had been flipped. Darkness was upon us! A gasp of amazement arose from the people nearby. We could see bright stars and without our eclipse glasses we looked up at this unreal scene in the darkened sky. The soft white light of the corona seemed to dance as it surrounded the black disk that was the moon. I understood how people in the past could be frightened, it felt as if the sunlight had suddenly been turned off. They did not have the experience of a light turning quickly on or off as we do with modern electricity. I looked around and saw the twilight along the horizon with beautiful blue, pink and purple colors. I wanted to just stare in wonder and I wanted to take photos. Totality was 2 minutes and 16 seconds where I was in Rexburg, Idaho but I wanted a little more time. Gazing upward, I saw the sun begin to peer out from behind the moon and I took a photo of the diamond ring effect as the sun quickly reappeared. The darkness was gone and a dim sunlight returned. What had I just seen? I was mesmerized, my mind trying to replay the past few minutes. I witnessed something no human can make happen, the power and alignment of the universe performing an age old event. For me, everything had aligned that day; sun, moon, clear sky and a great last minute parking spot at a lovely location.

 

 

The total eclipse of the sun happened a month ago and continues to play over in my mind. How wonderful to have this opportunity near me in my lifetime! Seeing a total eclipse has been a long held desire and was more spectacular than my mind had imagined. I wonder, is that true of everything? I feel a new found excitement, as if I’ve been let in on a secret. I continue to be awed and inspired, feeling like anything is possible. It has become a visual reminder to me that what the universe can arrange is far greater than my mind can imagine!