Solar Eclipse – A Crescent Sun

Unless you have been living under a rock, you are aware that today is the much heralded Solar Eclipse.

It will probably be worth the time to view – assuming you’ve got your magic glasses, because there won’t be another in the US for 20 years.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/04/08/when-is-the-next-total-solar-eclipse-after-2024/73221296007

Now in Berthoud, we are only going to see a partial eclipse because we are not in the direct path of the crossing.

https://www.npr.org/sections/solar-eclipse/2024/04/04/1242568508/solar-eclipse-april-8-2024-watch

The Berthoud timeline for the event is below:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@7174286?iso=20240408

And it should look like this in Berthoud at its peak.

Now there are a lot of Native American legends associated with solar eclipses which involve the devouring of the sun by mystical beasts and creatures

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar-eclipse-myths.html#:~:text=Ancient%20cultures%20tried%20to%20understand%20why%20the%20Sun,as%20a%20sign%20of%20angry%20or%20quarreling%20gods.

And this particular solar eclipse has been lighting the internet on fire.

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/other/solar-eclipse-conspiracy-theory-claims-it-will-start-human-sacrifice-event/ar-BB1lfQUr

With theories that range from massive earthquakes to human sacrifice.

On my part, I’m going to watch the eclipse with the next two generations because the odds are it could be my last one. And that’s okay. At least Lisa and I get to watch it with most of the grandkids.

Aussie DIL Georgie bought enough magic glasses to go around, so we should be fine, unless Stella gets a little peckish and turns into a zombie, in which case all bets are off.

On a more somber note, a high school friend I have recently come back into contact with, Pete Flanagan, passed on Saturday night after a valiant battle with cancer.

Now Pete is one of the CSHS Class of ’74 Alumni – who, along with Danny Cahillane, Terry Hughes and Mariann Galdi – reached out to me last Summer and invited me back into the ’74 fold, despite my not making it to graduation with the class. Lenny made the re-introduction.

It was fun interacting with them all, and I have stayed in regular contact with them, but Pete Flanagan morphed into a telephone buddy. Turns out he’s been battling a insidious form of metastasized liver cancer for a while. He always kept a great sense of humor about the whole thing, and told me from the beginning he didn’t want any pity from anyone. I took that as a thinly veiled warning and respected it. He’s the bravest man I know.

He recounted in detail the afternoon he received the news – he was driving home in his car – and all the things he had done since that moment to fight the good fight.

We talked a lot about his finding strength through his loving wife, Nancy, his rock, and his kids. My God, he loved them dearly. He also talked about leaning heavily on his Catholic faith so – since I was at best a lapsed member in that church – I introduced him to the most Catholic guy I know, Peter Sheridan, and they then each referred to the other as “the better Pete.”

He often mentioned his childhood friend and CSHS classmate, Terry Hughes, whom he considered a brother. Told me stories about being at each other’s houses since first grade. That bond was unbreakable, even now. I know that Terry is devastated over the loss. We must remember the survivors in our prayers.

Pete continuously reaffirmed that despite his cancer, he’d had a wonderful life.

And despite his failing health, he made it a point to read The Claire Saga, even plowing through the publisher’s manuscript of WTLLM. He enjoyed my transitioning energy view of heaven and the porous nature of the veil. He shared his deep insights into the story. His mind remained sharp throughout his illness. Given his perspective, it meant the world to me.

I last spoke with Pete this past Wednesday. He had just had a meeting with his cancer team the day before. The prognosis wasn’t good. But he had his faith and his family. And he was all set for whatever may come. He was a fighter to the end.

I went back through our recent texts and grabbed this one from a couple of weeks back that best captured the Pete I had just become reacquainted with – as I said, the bravest man I know, despite his lousy taste in sports teams. .

I’m guessing he’s doing everything he can on the other side of the veil to help his “dog-ass Mets.”

Vaya con dios Pete!

I bet he’s got a great view of the Solar Eclipse.

Well, now I need to get moving – yes, another Monday.

You fine, five readers get that last cuppa into you, pull up your socks, and find the best vantage point you can from your office windows to catch the SE.

I’m going to go cuddle the kitties and do my rounds.

And whatever else we may do, let us make today a great one.