Eclipsing, Mowing and Musing - Oh My!

On May 20th, the solar eclipse passed nearly over top of Amarillo. It would pass directly over Lubbock to the south of us and put us in the 90% area, scheduled to max out just before sunset. Skies were overcast in the morning and were forecast to be so all day and night. What better way to blow a good eclipse? We didn't have much hope at first.

As the day progressed, the sky cleared off and was almost perfectly clear come time for the eclipse to start - about 7:30pm CDT. Only a few spotty streaks of clouds still hung around. Shelley and I took up position on the west side of town that afforded an unobstructed view of the sunset, got our cameras ready and watched for other photo-ops while waiting for the sun to weaken to the point we could take some photos.

Below are some of the shots I took, along with an animated GIF I assembled. (Click on any image to see the full size version.)

(First shot I could get - safely.)

(Nearly maxed out.)

(Shortly after maximum, nearing sunset.)

(Ok, I had a little fun with the last one.)

What clouds stuck around actually enhanced our shots, I think. Unfortunately, it was completely obscured by clouds around its peak. I managed to pull a few images aside to create an animated GIF. At the start of the animation, it was just coming out from behind the clouds that hid the peak of the eclipse.

(Note the sun stop setting and wait for the trucks to go by. It was accidental when I created it. )

We were lucky the clouds disappeared and we got to see it. It was a sight we will likely never see again.
 

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I finally got to mow the lawn again after work today. Yes, I anxiously look forward to it! Haven't had to do it for a little while. Parts of the lawn show it, too. After mowing, I made some artificial rain. Gotta make it a little bit green to keep fire danger down. Would love to have a few more inches of rain. We were tickled to have gotten the 1/2" and 3/4" increments we got earlier this year.

You know you're from the Texas panhandle if you consider a rainy, gloomy, stormy day to be "beautiful weather".

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 Musings. Hmm. Well, actually it's something a-musing. Something that Shelley and I both do, and sometimes chide each other for it.

Most of you know we have a very interesting little boy that came into our lives about 3 years ago - a gray and white tabby cat named "Buster". Well, not really a cat. Not sure what he is. Anyhow, he's as much a family member as any 2-legged child. He is one of those boys who can do virtually anything he wants to, sleep where he wants, will smack you on the tush as you walk by and then act like he didn't do anything. Well, you get the idea.  

(If you want to get an idea of how "people-like" he is, check out this sneaky little thing playfully trying to tell "Momma" he wants some treats:  http://tinyurl.com/6mujxlk.  Some say it's not possible, but he has a very cool sense of humor.)

Now, what prompted me to start about Buster in this post is that I just witnessed (again) him snoozing on half of the couch. Yes, he's a big boy. Not overweight, just big. When he stretches out, he easily takes up half the couch. 

Shelley and I have our customary places to sit on the couch. We all have "our spots" to sit and get comfy, right? A little bit ago, I saw her taking up an alternate position and not bothering "that boy" - who was snoozing peacefully on "her side" of the couch. "That boy" (as we refer to him very affectionately in casual conversation) is so spoiled (or is it "revered"?) by both of us that we refuse to make him move when he's commandeered "our spots".

I shake my head at how he's managed to rule Shelley's life in just three short years, all the while knowing I'm just as guilty. "That boy" has us wrapped around his little paws for sure - and he knows it!