BACK IN THE 60s WHEN IT WAS PC TO LAUGH at Bill Cosby, the comedian joked it rains so much in Seattle that people don’t tan, they rust. When the sun does come out, they think they have somehow offended the gods. Well, this year the gods must be really pissed —the local weatherman reported that there hasn’t been measurable rainfall in more than 60 days!
What's going on? There goes the sun
But that doesn’t mean that the sun is always shining. The Total Eclipse of the Sun on August 21 didn’t extend as far as Seattle, but 90% totality seemed acceptable, especially when rhe alternative was driving 200 miles to Salem OR in bumper to bumper traffic. Hotels and even campgrounds in the eclipses path turned mercenary, doubling and even tripling prices. So much for the Age of Aquarius! With a jury rigged solar filter for my 400 mm lens I grabbed my lawn chair, and camera and headed to the nearby nature reserve. I recorded the eclipse in 5-minute intervals, always trying to frame reclusive Mt. Ranier in the background, but the sun was too high. Three house wrens serenaded me as they foraged voraciously, possibly fooled by the gathering gloom.
This is really serious 90% Totality
Montana and Idaho have been plagued with forest fires that are expected to continue until the first snows of winter, while here in Washington the sky has been hazed with smoke from fires in British Columbia. But a new fire near Mt. Ranier was responsible for the heavy smoke yesterday and the ash that covered our truck. On the plus side, we were treated to a spectacular sunrise — we could actually see sunspots on the pink sun.
