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through conversations about the eclipse and it our well known rain clouds.
often came back to the skies. Would it be cloudy? We all arrived in Sisters on Saturday.
Again, I believed that the best chances for Waking up Sunday morning and looking
clear skies would be east of the Cascades, and outside, my heart broke. Smoke had surrounded
so did close to a million other people. the area so thick that seeing the eclipse was
Welcome sun chasing, music festival goers, possibly in jeopardy. I was freaking out. I felt sick
end of the road, living in a van down by the river, to my stomach. I wondered how mad my family
camping on public lands (you guys know who would be if I abandoned all eight of them in
you are), and all eclipse seeking people from search of clear skies. When I shared my concerns
distant cities.
In planning, the need for solar glasses arose. they reassured me that it would be okay.
I placed my first online order about 6 months At 10:20 am, we checked the location of the
prior to the eclipse and my second order about sun and our location in the field for viewing. It
3 months later. All of our plans were coming seemed to be a valid location and the sun could
together. be seen through the smoke. Remembering all
“Eclipse Fever” began to grow stronger in the warnings, I knew it was best to stay in place.
the weeks and days leading up to the eclipse. Monday morning. The day is here. I look out
Dire warnings about fake solar glasses being the window and the skies are clear. The smoke
sold, towns sold out of all groceries, water, and was gone! We gathered together and made the
gasoline. The fever grew to an end-of-times march down the hill to the meadow. Glasses in
pitch. The eclipse was whipping up a frenzy of place, we settled into our chairs—and soon it
fear and loathing. Not quite, but close. began. The sliver of shade started to edge across
Even with all of these warnings we felt the orange disc through the solar glasses. At
prepared. We had a week’s worth of 10:17, I started my
groceries, and our gas tanks were full. song, Eclipse, by Pink
What could go wrong? Floyd.
The weekly weather forecast predicted At 10:19 it began.
sunny skies over most of Eastern Oregon. A total eclipse of the
Perfect! However, another topic of conver- sun. Two minutes,
sation began to arise. Wild fires. The West forty seconds: our
was on fire. Wild fires in British Columbia, estimated time in
California, Idaho, and now in Oregon totality. The glasses
created a massive amount of smoke. In came off. The song
Portland our resident volcano could not ends with the line
be seen due to the fine carbon smoke
suspended in the air, and not because of “the sun is eclipsed
by the moon.” The
field erupts in cheer,
whistles, clapping,
and tears. I must
describe it as “It’s
something you
cannot imagine, you
want it to go on forever.” It was the fastest two
minutes. It seemed like only 8 seconds. And, for
a few seconds the perfection of the heavens is
evident.
Lee Engvall joined Toastmasters in 2003. He
has served as an area governor, new club mentor,
and held several club officer roles over the years.
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3 SEPTEMBER, 2017 27
