Nature was especially kind to us today in NE Ohio. It started overcast and rainy but shortly transitioned to blue skies and sunshine and the first 70 degree day of the year. A 70 degree day in April is nicest possible day: warm but low in humidity and the insects haven't appeared yet. This all made it perfect for sitting outside and watching one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed, a total eclipse of the sun. I've seen eclipses before but this time I was located squarely in the center of the somewhat narrow zone of totality . This was the first time I've looked into that glorious ring of fire during the peak of the event. The temperature dropped 10 to 20 degrees and the birds went silent, probably freaked out by the unexpected darkness. My son and daughter-in-law both said they were made nauseous by the eerie faux twilight that you only see during an eclipse. Has anyone heard of this phenomena? Nevertheless it was quite awesome, glorious really
Afterwards I came inside and watched the Guardians defeat the White Sox. The announcers showed video taped a couple hours earlier when the team had opened the stadium early so fans could come in and watch the eclipse while they played the "Dark Side of the Moon" album over the PA system throughout, proving again that Cleveland is a Rock and Roll town of high degree. It was probably a unifying experience but I much preferred seeing it out in the country with my wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandson.
After that I sat on my rocking chair on our west-facing front porch and watched the most amazing, beautiful sunset. All pink and blue pastels, what I call a candy floss sky, reddening deeper toward the end. The sunset experience was greatly enhanced by the serenade of the songs of a muriad variety of birds that visit our feeders. We live in a 108 years old farmhouse surrounded by a huge field. Last year it was a soy bean field and the year before corn. I hope they plant corn this year because when it gets tall we feel comletely secluded. You can no longer see the road at the end of our 400 foot long drive but you can hear the distant sound of cars driving by. I tell my grandson they are ghost cars. Today it.s covered in a type of purple clover that grows on these fields in early spring in the period after the thaw but before the soil is turned over by a steel plow and disced in preparation for planting. There is much to recommend about country living.