Totality's Best Seat - April 8th, 2024

That was an advertising phrase that was used around here, as a way to promote this area as a good place to observe the latest solar eclipse. Here in the Cleveland, Ohio area, we did indeed get a 100 percent totality view of the eclipse, and there were people from various other states who converged here in Cleveland. Mr. BTEG got the best shots of the eclipse. I did get a few shots of the area around us, taken with my phone camera (but not looking directly at the sun.) :)

The pictures make it look hazy and cloudy, but it was really a beautifully clear day. It was quite an unusual day for NE Ohio in April, which was appreciated all the more because of the eclipse viewing. Full totality started at 3:15 PM EST, and lasted for three minutes.

As it got progressively darker, the street lights and lights on people's garages started to come on. We also heard bird song. I've read that elsewhere people heard crickets, but it is too cold for crickets here right now. As totality occurred, we could hear a chorus of "ohs" from around the neighborhood, along with applause and some fireworks.

My husband got these fantastic shots of the actual eclipse by using the lens of one of our eclipse glasses in front of his camera lens. This is what we saw when we looked directly at the eclipse using our glasses. The first one is when the moon had started to move into position in front of the sun. The second one is full totality. It got so cold during totality, too! One minute, I was comfortable in short sleeves, five minutes later, I was shivering in a hoodie with the hood pulled up.

I did not make eclipse glasses for any of my dolls, or even take any of my dolls out for the view, like Raging Moon did. We did meet up later with Mr. BTEG's sister, her husband, and their daughter, who drove out from about an hour and a half away, and spent a few days here in a hotel. They watched the eclipse from the Great Lakes Science Center in downtown Cleveland. We then spent most of the next day together shopping, and Mr. BTEG and I were both completely worn out yesterday, thus the lateness of this post.

Raging Moon will probably also get a kick out of the fact that people were jokingly attributing the beautiful weather to the spirit of Dick Goddard, longtime Cleveland, Ohio weatherman. Not only did he create and host the very popular Woollybear Festival, he was also a strong advocate for animal protection, and holds the Guinness World Record for longest career as a weather forecaster.

Hoping to bring more doll content soon!