Page 26 - September 2017 Voices
P. 26
TELL ME A STORY
Oregon Field Trip: A Total
Eclipse of the Sun
by Lee Engvall, ACS, ALS
I think it was Living in Portland and planning to observe
about two years the eclipse possesses some tricky logistics. The
ago when it first appeared. A Facebook post biggest issue to me was the need for clear skies.
popped up on my news feed: Oregon will have Portland is not known for clear skies. However,
a total eclipse of the sun on August 21, 2017. Wow! east of the Cascade Mountains is. That is why
I decided that, yes, I was going to see this. After my plans would take me east of the Cascades to
all, I live in Oregon. I put that notion into my Sisters, Oregon.
memory for future planning. In respect to this eclipse viewing I am a
blessed man. My family owns a home near
Sisters, Oregon. Sisters was in the path of totality.
I sent out an invitation to my siblings to join
the eclipse viewing in Sisters, Oregon. They all
cleared their calendars. Including spouses, chil-
dren, and grandchildren, we had nine people in
our viewing party. What more could you ask for?
Clear skies of course!
I had never seen a total solar eclipse. I had
seen partial eclipses. I had seen a lunar eclipse—
but not a total eclipse of the sun.
About a year went by and there it was again,
another Facebook post. It described how the
70-mile-wide shadow of the moon would travel
across North America. Oregon would be the
first land fall of the moon shadow as it made its
90-minute trip across the US before going out Our home is surrounded by pines trees and
to sea in the Atlantic Ocean. The idea came back near a fresh water spring flowing into a nearby
meadow. I decided the meadow would be the best
into my mind. “I’ve got to see this.” location for our eclipse viewing. How good does
At the beginning of this year, the messages and
articles started to appear with greater frequency. it get? The meadow is only about 500 yards away.
As the months, weeks, and days past and the
“Are you ready for the solar eclipse?” (I asked date grew nearer, a strange thing happened. I
myself if I was ready—No! was the answer.) I want to call it “Eclipse Fever.” Everyone started
needed to take action.
talking about it. A common thread began to run
26 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER, 2017
