In the past 36 years, my wife and I have become experienced eclipse watchers. We are looking forward to witnessing "The Great North American Eclipse" next Spring. Nothing can compare to a total eclipse. The eclipse will only be about 85% over our home in north Georgia. The closest city to us on the path of totality is Cape Girardeau, MO so we have made hotel reservations there for Saturday through Tuesday, April 6-9. The eclipse (from ≈ 12:00 to ≈ 3:00) will be total from ≈ 2:00 ≈2:02 on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Wherever we are in the world it has been our custom to "make a day of it" in some quiet open place and share the experience with whoever is there. We set up our portable solar telescope and usually have a variety of different hand-held viewing tools and cameras available, always scrupulously following NASA guidelines for safe eclipse viewing.
The parking lot of a downtown hotel is not our idea of a good place for such an endeavor. We are total strangers to Missouri. My wife has never been and I passed through St. Louis once. We don't have any people there.
I remember 28 years ago, as a first-year martin landlord talking to my neighbor and mentor, he said, "If you're ever on the road and need help - look for a place with martin gourds - you'll get help there."
So, I had a brainstorm: Why not see if there are any members of the PMCA within easy driving distance of Cape Giradeau who wouldn't mind a couple of retirees setting up an "eclipse watch" in their backyard for a couple of hours on a Monday afternoon?
Contact information can be obtained from Linda at [email protected] Thank you.
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