“It was one of those humid days when the atmosphere gets confused. Sitting on the porch, you could feel it: the air wishing it was water.”
My neighbor came by with eclipse glasses so I got to see the partial eclipse we had here. It was so very cool to watch the moon move across the sun and darken the day just a bit. Two things jumped into my head from my memory drawers. I was reminded of when I was young, and we used negatives to look through at the eclipse. I have no idea if they were all that safe but figure they must have been as I didn’t go blind. I don’t even remember if there were warnings. Now, of course, there are no negatives. The second memory was of reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. Our Yankee is sentenced to be burned at the stake but is saved by magic, or at least what King Arthur thinks is magic but is really an eclipse. He, the Yankee, said he’d blot out the sun, and it happened as he’d predicted because our hero had remembered the eclipse. I would have been burned at the stake.
Today is supposed to be hot and humid. When I went to get the papers and take Gracie to the backyard, I could feel the humidity, and it was still early, usually a cooler time. Right now it’s cloudy and breezy, but that humidity is hanging in there.
When I was waiting for my coffee to brew, I saw a feeder moving back and forth and knew it was a spawn of Satan. I could see its tail and knew it was the worst off them all, a red spawn. It was inside the keep the spawn away wire and was dining on seed. I sneaked over to the feeder. The spawn saw me and jumped to the rail, but I was there so it fell to the ground, two floors away. The spawn’s fall scared the doves feeding from the ground, and they flew into the air. The birds at the feeders were spooked so they too took off. The whole thing was a comedy of errors with birds flying everywhere.
I have to go out in a bit, and the sun just made a quick in and out entrance. Right now it’s among the missing. I’m glad. I figure the humidity is enough to make for a dismal day without adding more heat.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: A Yankee in Kind Arthur's Court, comedy of errors, doves, eclipse, going blind, hot humid, memory drawer, picture negatives, red spawn, spawn of satan
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keepthecoffeecoming.blog 
August 22, 2017 at 1:41 pm
I watched the eclipse on the internet and it was so cool!
I would have loved to see when the squirrel made all birds panic 🙂 Here they are so shy that they never even come close to my cottage.
It rained when I woke up but I think the rest ofbthe day has been rather sunny. It was rather warm when I came home and the sun diud shine but I think that will be a rarity this week, they predict lots of rain and low pressures. Isn’t that typical. It hasn’t rained all summer but now when the farmers are harvesting it just pours down 🙂 🙂
I hope Gracie got a good nights sleep!
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 22, 2017 at 5:04 pm
Christer,
I stood on m,y front lawn and looked. It was very cool, no question about it.
The squirrels are arrogant and they eat from feeders near the deck. I would have blasted the spawn with my hose if the water had been on. That would have shocked it.
Gracie slept on the couch and probably got better sleep than I did.
Have a great evening!
August 22, 2017 at 10:46 pm
About half our employees and customers were out front at one o’clock yesterday to see the 75% partial eclipse. Some brought eclipse glasses so I took a glance. However, seeing the shadow of the moon on the ground through the leaves of a tree was really interesting. Some people said the sky was slightly darkened but I couldn’t tell the difference. I’m planning for the nearly total eclipse that will cross the Dallas area in 2024.
A couple I work with own their own airplane and planned to fly to Kansas City where his son lives for the eclipse. They had hotel reservations but forgot to get a parking place at any airport within a reasonable driving distance. 😦
August 22, 2017 at 11:04 pm
Bob,
It was 65% here and through the glasses it was spectacular. The sky did darken but for just quick minute or two. I’ll also be ready for the next eclipse which will be south of us.
The news today said make your hotel reservations early before the next eclipse.