Total Eclipse of the Sun 2017

 Hello and Happy Friday! It's been a crazy time leading up to the Total Solar Eclipse (or partial depending on where you are) and the pre weekend is finally here! The eclipse takes place on Monday.  Organizers in my town have been working hard for 2 years to pull off a big event. Solartown and SolarFest.

 A farmer, using GPS and NASA coordinates says this is the center of the line in Madras. I'm not sure who painted it, but I went looking for it yesterday and found it! I told my niece we were taking a little field trip from work and surprised her.

 I've been snapping a few photos around town this week.

 Certain roads will be closed to most traffic for emergency personel to respond quickly. Passes were available for locals and people who live in the "closed" areas.  If you look behind there is an empty lot that will be turned into a food court.

 Lots of porta potties all over town!

 Several farms have turned into tent cities,

 And some have tried to "sell" spaces in dirt and stickers! Ugh!

 Our fairgrounds is the main headquarters of SolarFest. There will be lots of food trucks, music, and shuttle buses.

I believe this grassy area will be full f tents this weekend. Our town of 6200 is supposed to have up to 100,000 visitors! NASA and Lowell Observatory are putting on some great free events too!

I couldn't resist!

On this map my town, madras is about right in the middle and on the line of totality!

This is what I was reading about the difference of being on the path of the eclipse or not.

For those outside the path, there is no dramatic moment of totality, no dance of Baily’s Beads around the edge of the moon’s disk, no intense darkening of the skies, no stars and planets suddenly revealing themselves against an impossible twilight, no corona flashing into view (the otherworldly beauty of which makes even veteran total eclipse observers gasp in amazement), and no primordial fear which sinks ever so slightly even the modern heart. There is no pitch-blackened disk of the sun, no discernable temperature drop, no impossible nighttime during the day, no scintillating chromosphere or glorious prominences, no 360-degree sunset effect around the horizon, no uncontrollable shouts of emotional overload from the assembled crowd, and no lingering post-eclipse sensation of certainty that you have just done one of the coolest things you’ll ever do in your life.

A partial eclipse is interesting but forgettable, while a total eclipse is a memorable, life-changing event which burns itself into memory – and never fades. And so we, who have seen this sight, ask you to join us on this momentous day, and do everything you possibly can to see it with us. But you must remember that “close” is not close enough; in order to see the eclipse in all its glory, you simply must…

Get thee to the path!

Kind of silly, but I'm excited now that the event is almost here!

We had a traffic nightmare on Wednesday. 30,000 people were heading to Big Summit for a Symbiosis Gathering in the Mountains.  Here was an aerial view from today.

You all have a great weekend! I'll be working and hopefully meeting some visitors to my little town.

Love to you all!