I’ll be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect today with the eclipse. I didn’t know much about it, I haven’t had time to think about it (can we say ‘house project?!) and I certainly didn’t make any special plans for it…other than walking outside at the proper time. (Buffalo being in the ‘path of totality’ meant there were no shortage of events and parties we could attend.)
What I can say is that even without any expectations, it did not disappoint.
It was overcast and cloudy today (true spring weather here in Buffalo) so we were all a bit unsure of what–if anything–we’d see. Yesterday, of course, was beautiful: blue skies and not a cloudy to be seen. Go figure.
About twenty minutes before the total eclipse, we headed outside to the driveway to play games and wait for the show…whatever that would end up being.
Maelle discovered Trac-Ball in the garage and it might be our new favorite game. (We haven’t gotten on the pickleball wagon yet.) For a while, it seemed like we might miss the whole thing, since we couldn’t even see where the sun was supposed to be.
And then, all of a sudden, and VERY quickly, it began to get dark. As in, we’d look around and say to each other, “it just got darker.” And then a few SECONDS later, we’d say it again. And then it was as if it was night. Check out the photos below taken just a few minutes apart:
This photo (below) was taken at 3:15 pm, just five minutes before Buffalo was to experience the total solar eclipse. Typical overcast afternoon sky, if a touch darker. (But not really–Buffalo spring is rough.)
The photo below was taken at 3:18 pm, just two minutes before the eclipse. Considerably darker, just three minutes later! In fact, I’d say it was much darker in real life than in this photo; it truly felt like nighttime. You can see the street lights came on. And fireworks in the distance!
Here’s the eclipse at 3:20:
We had lots of clouds, but we were able to catch the eclipse as they moved. Here’s a sliver of sun after the total eclipse:
And then, just as suddenly as it had gotten dark, it got light again. It was as if someone turned a light on. It was such a wild experience. I am so glad we were home and able to see it so easily.
I had us pose with our glasses (that we barely used!) afterward for posterity. They’re so dark I had to fumble with my camera once I got my own glasses down!
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