Total Eclipse 2024

Holly experienced history today – her first total eclipse.  Science tells us the next one is in August, 2044 so it’s safe to say this was also Holly’s last total eclipse, mine too.  We watched on the NASA streaming service, seeing a steady stream of totality moments from about 8 different locations in the solar path.  I was impressed with NASA’s coverage, both from a scientific and humanitarian view.  There was a lot of science and solar talk but balancing that out was the inspirational, emotional and spiritual views.  Millions of people placed themselves in position (either in person or via streaming) to watch a natural phenomenon that is predictable yet powerful, and explainable yet mysterical.  The mere four minutes of darkness while the moon blocked the sun’s path had some thrilled about the precision of science, and others giving blessings to their higher power – and many doing both.  Yet everyone shared the experience in wonderment and acceptance of each other’s reaction.  There was no right or wrong, no right or left, no win or loss.  We all shared a moving and powerful moment provided to us by the universe and its creator.  Holly was clueless and saw it as a rainy day where we stayed inside most of the time.  And as I watched the eclipse produce total darkness, city after city, on the NASA streaming service, I was repeatedly reminded of just how clueless I am with how the universe works and how I have control of nearly nothing, including Holly!

There have been a few days that have had that springlike feeling.  Whenever that comes, ice cream follows.  The Chilly Billy near me had closed, bumming me out for a while until I heard someone else had bought a Chilly Billy franchise and was opening in the Mt Royal neighborhood.  Glory Be!   We swung by to support the new business venture and introduce my purchase trends – one sundae with one pup cup, two spoons.   The very next day a BOGO offer comes to me from the Dairy Queen so we loaded up again and took a ride this time to the drive thru at the Hermantown DQ.  There was some confusion on the BOGO reward causing a delay at the window with the pup cup sitting in Holly’s direct view.  By time of resolution, Holly had collected full attention from each of the four clerks at the window, two working on the coupon issue, two stopping by to say hello to Holly.  And then the now predictable comment when Helen pops her head up – ‘ oh, there’s another dog!  Is that her puppy?’  I’ve learned to just say no, and spare telling them that the other dog is 11 years old and not a golden retriever.   Clueless is universal.