I have always been enamored by eclipses- lunar and solar, as well as by meteor showers.  When my kids were little, we would all go to sleep a little early, waking up around midnight so we could take a drive to a (relatively) unpopulated area.  Then, we’d put some blankets on top of the car, and sprawl out to view the show.

(You probably know that as a Jewish fellow, I am well attuned to the lunar cycles.  Each new moon indicates a new month.  And, many of our holidays coincide with the appearance of  full moons. Tu B’Shvat (the new year for trees), Purim (the story of Esther), Pesach (release from Egypt), and Sukot (harvest festival) are all full-moon events.  And, the new moons [called Rosh Chodesh]  are specifically considered to be women’s holidays.)

Now that my kids are bigger (the youngest is 31), it’s no longer standard protocol for them to join me on a drive to countryside.  Plus, with my near fatal disease, I was unable to travel and take advantage of nature’s show for nearly three years.  (As of 4 July, I have been free to travel around- which is why I got to see the 8 November eclipse.)

While I was clicking away with my cameras during the eclipse, I recalled another time I spent hours filming an eclipse.  (OK. When you are done reading this you’ll see that I didn’t quite film that earlier eclipse.)

It was the summer of 1981 and I had bought 1600 ASA color slide film, so even with low light, I could capture a bunch of fantastic photos.  And, I clicked and I clicked, enjoying my view of the eclipse and hoping that these pictures would let me garner additional enjoyment after the event.

Until I went into my abode about 4 AM and cracked open my camera.  Getting ready to reel it back into the magazine, so I could bring the roll in for finishing later that morning.   Imagine my surprise when I found the film had already been wound up.

It seems that my wife (at the time) wanted to take a bunch of pictures of our new, little daughter.  So, all day, while I was working, she and Shanna traveled around the neighborhood, using my special film to take cute pictures of the nearly two year old gal.  And, my (then) wife never told me about her actions, so that I might have loaded a second roll into my camera.

At least this time, I got my pictures. And, reveled in the view when I wasn’t taking any pictures. (I should also note that while I still have my conventional SLR (single lens reflex) camera, I have its twin as a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera.

The only problem with this eclipse that started in the early hours of the morn, is that it was complete around 6 AM.  Which was just before the sun was rising and shining- so it was difficult to photograph the passing of the eclipse.  So much so, that I bundled everything up and went home around 6:20.

But, it was great seeing the eclipse.  Hope you got to see it, too!