Solar Eclipse 2024
The amazing Solar Eclipse of 2024. Taken at Shoal Bay, on Lake Dardanelle, near New Blaine, Arkansas.
(Tammy takes a few minutes to rest - the calm before the storm)
My arm hurt for months due to aiming my camera up at the sky, every 4-5 minutes for two hours.
(Lake Dardanelle at sunrise)
The eclipse began at 12:33 p.m. and lasted until 3:10, with totality from 1:49 CDT 1:53.
Photos of the eclipse from beginning to end are here.
I used a Canon 7D and Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS II USM. The camera body and lens, combined, weigh over 6 lbs.
(6 pounds of equipment, hand held. Photo taken at totality had to be lightened, it was so very dark.).
Photos of the area during the eclipse are in this gallery.
As the moon took chunks out of the sun, I felt the weather change. The lake went from still to choppy to still again, and a cool breeze came up. As it got darker, birds, including buzzards, all began to fly over, apparently to the their resting spot - they thought it was bedtime! The shadows of tree leaves on the asphalt were really cool!
As totality began, I took off my solar sunglasses and removed the solar filter from the camera. Someone in the campground had been playing music from the 60s and 70s, but as it got dark, they played Johny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.”, and as the sun came back out, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beetles. There was loud cheering and applause accompanying the eerie darkness.
The party seemed to break up after totality, though I stayed and continued to take photos.
It was an experience of a lifetime.
A beautiful autumn in the south!
It was a long, hot summer filled with getting the gardening done before it became unbearable outdoors. Stepping onto the front porch felt and smelled like stepping into a sauna. Most days were over 100 degrees here in Oklahoma, and even I, a lover of heat, felt wilted by noon.
Now that autumn's here, I'm back outside and taking photos. I love camping, the opportunity to get out on the lake in the kayak at dawn's first light, the wandering through the forest with the dogs, the friendly people we meet.
Check out the photos in my gallery, Oklahoma and Arkansas Trails, for more like this one!
Changes... and waiting for spring.
Sometimes you are on the mountain top. Sometimes you are in the valley.
I've been in the valley for past few months.
On January 3, I lost the love of my life, Mike Hoffman.
He died from cancer, just over a week after finding out that that was what was causing his weight loss and pain. I had known him only 2 1/2 years, but it's not an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most wonderful people I've ever known, and that he made a larger impact on my life than can be explained. Our time together was extraordinary, hard to describe in just a few paragraphs. He was a person who embodied the meaning of love - he cared about people in a rare and special way. He could make light of life's situations while having an edge to his words that could put you in your place, but always, ALWAYS, being kind and letting you know he loved you.
I know in my heart that God meant us to be together, that this was a part of His plan, that there was a purpose to our relationship. I will love Mike and miss him forever.
Following this sadness, I also lost my father, Johnny Hagen. Unlike Mike, he had lived to an age when you expect these things to happen. His loss is deeply felt by all who loved him.
So today I'm waiting for the next chapter in my life. I can't go on yet - there is much to do with the settling of an estate, the decisions to make, and waiting for spring. It's been a long, hard winter, and it's not over yet. The road ahead is not revealed - I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do when I get there.
I'll continue with my creative pursuits, there's no doubt about that! I just hope for peace and for God's guidance as I continue my journey. I see the mountain top in the distance.
I see changes.
And up ahead, I see spring.
Cold winter months
The holidays are here, winter is here, it's time for me to hibernate a little.
I've spent the last couple of weeks staying inside, organizing my thoughts, my photos, my 'stuff.'
I've shopped and wrapped and sent out cards (which I designed) and spent time with family and friends.
I play with the dog, and if it's nice enough out, take her for a walk.
Once in a while, I go out with the camera (I tend to stay in the truck to get the shot!) and try for a few seasonal pictures.
Come February, I'll spend a week in Tucson, hopefully to bring back some desert landscapes.
In the meantime, have a Very Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year!
Pow wow
I went to my first Pow Wow on Saturday - what beautiful colors! I have always respected these proud people, and as a child I admired their lifestyle of living off the land, their respect for the animals that supplied their food, clothing and shelter, and their strong cultural backgrounds. Visit the photo gallery to see more!
