Got up early this morning to jump in the car and drive to Anderson, SC which is about 110 miles away from Stone Mountain where I live.

Mr. Google took me way out in the country due to a wreck on 85 going North. I eventually got to Anderson about noon, ate a quick sandwich and went to the Convention Center.

At that time, the weather looked pretty clear, but increasing cloudiness loomed.

I got my sunviewing glasses.
I tried to find some Sunday night to no avail. EVERY place was sold out. So I was really glad when they gave me a pair, for FREE!

I drove around the hundreds of people who were there looking for who had the best telescopes and optical rigs. If you don’t have the gear, make friends who who does. His name was Jerry.

I set up my optical projection system with my binoculars.

I ended up not needing the stuff I brought. Just brought my chair over to Jerry’s rig!

It just got more and more cloudy.

When totality actually happened, it was so cloudy I couldn’t see it. I must admit I was so disappointed I actually cried. What a big baby. Glad I had those goofy glasses on.

Over the last twenty years I’ve probably been out to look at the meteor showers at least fifty times. There are three every year: leonids, geminids and perseids. MOST of the time I get cancelled out by the stupid clouds. So I’ve been used to being disappointed by the weather.

But to have spent three hours to get there and then nearly five hours to get him in just brutal traffic was one of the most disappointing events ever.

I’d drive and drive and drive, and Mr. Google kept saying I had about 2 1/2 hours to go! Ay caramba!

I kept thinking he’d take me around all the traffic. I even went on dirt roads again!

I had planned on going to see Deep Purple, Alice Cooper and Edgar Winter tonight at the Chastain park amphitheater. Didn’t happen because of the traffic.

I had hoped that today would equal the day in Paris where I saw the Mona Lisa and Michelangelo’s David at the Louvre and saw Pink Floyd that night. Alas, that level of awesomeness was not to be. Double suckage.

In my life, I’ve spent thousands of hours looking for birds, animals, rocks, arrowheads and meteors showers. I’ve seen extraordinary things! And found incredible stuff! But far more times I don’t see or find anything of real note. But I’ve learned if you don’t try, you don’t get.

Just the way it is! So I’ll keep trying! But gotta admit I was really disappointed today.

But I was there, and that counts for something!