Re-enactment Experiences Mark II

[Róisín]

Buteo, I hope so! And thorny, I hope the earthquake didn’t reach as far as your farm?

[thorny]

No earthquake up here; and it wasn't much of an earthquake where it was -- enough shaking to feel, from what I've read, but not enough to do significant damage.

Probably the wrong thread for this, but we do have a solar eclipse coming up. I live about 10 miles south of the totality line; and will be joining up with a friend and heading north far enough to get a bit over two minutes' totality on another friend's farm. Weather forecast is a pretty good chance, but not certainty, of clear skies. Traffic's supposed to be pretty horrendous; we can travel partly on back roads, but due to geology (lakes and major streams) will have to get through a couple of traffic chokepoints.

[dmeck7755]

Róisín,
Sounds like fun!  I hope you have a wonderful time

thorny.
We are going to try and make the trip to get there on time. I had booked time at one of the local wineries "watch party".  (Took vacation and everything..)The last time I had seen an eclipse was in 1972..

[thorny]

What state?

(thorny, in wine country, New York State)

[Róisín]

Living in wine country is good. I’m more likely to make mead or cider myself, but I have occasionally made wine, and my mate Trev makes the best Shiraz, and another friend has access to a small patch of pre-phylloxera shiraz grapes, of which he has given me several cuttings. I have one for myself, have planted one in the community garden where it is doing well, and given one to Liz. Where I live is in the little triangle where the Barossa Valley butts up against the Murraylands and the Adelaide Hills - very good wine country.

[dmeck7755]

What state?

(thorny, in wine country, New York State)

Sorry.  Limited internet. Just got time back to go over my stuff!!  We stayed in a B&B in Penn Yan and went to a winery for a watch party.  (Cayuga Lake) All was great until about 3pm.  The clouds started to roll in and as the eclipse made the world darker and darker, the clouds did also.  So we did not get to see anything.  After it was all done it started to pour.

What was rather interesting, when it started to go total;all of the birds and other animals went totally silent.  Even the wind ceased.  It became about 5 degrees cooler and was night time.  It was quite eerie. We were on a hill, so were able to see for many miles.  Outside of the totality area we saw light surrounding us.  It was really neat.  We never saw the actual eclispe.  But we did get to feel it. 

Plus the watch party had some great BBQ and wine, so it was not so bad...

We also visited some wineries

[Róisín]

Yeah, eclipses are strange like that. I have noticed that while many animals just settle as if going to sleep for the night, and dairy cows head in early to be milked, a few animals seem worried or upset, and my bees race back to the hive before the light really begins to fade. The big bluetongued lizard who lives under the woodbox on my back verandah goes about her normal routine without seeming to be bothered by the change in light, and I have also noticed snakes seemingly untroubled by the changes.

[JoB]

my bees race back to the hive before the light really begins to fade.

If I remember correctly, bees can see both extra colors (ultraviolet) and polarization of the light, and actually navigate by that extra information ... surely someone did already think to film an eclipse through corresponding filters to see whether the visual effects might be even more impressive that way?

[Róisín]

Interesting idea! I wonder if anyone has?

[thorny]

Sorry.  Limited internet. Just got time back to go over my stuff!!  We stayed in a B&B in Penn Yan

You were very close to me! our route in one direction from/to the viewing site went through Penn Yan, and it's my farmer's market town (not open till late May, though.)

-- and yes, we had the same cloud experience.

[dmeck7755]

You were very close to me! our route in one direction from/to the viewing site went through Penn Yan, and it's my farmer's market town (not open till late May, though.)

-- and yes, we had the same cloud experience.

I forgot how close you are when we go to the area.  Maybe one time, we can meet. 

[thorny]

Maybe we can. Let me know when you're next going to be in the area.

[JoB]

All was great until about 3pm.  The clouds started to roll in and as the eclipse made the world darker and darker, the clouds did also.  So we did not get to see anything.  After it was all done it started to pour.

This game seems to be rigged like that.