This reminds me of the day in May 1994 when there was an 
*annular* solar eclipse visible from parts of the Midwest.
In Chicago it was only partial -- 90% but not annular --
so we took the kids (then ages 12 & 10) out of school 
and drove south into the region of total annularity. 

We found a nice picnic table (eclipse max was around noon)
between farm fields and a tree-shaded American Legion post
on the Kankakee River.  When the eclipse got really good
(little rings of light all over the ground) we went in the post --
i.e., the bar -- and told the barmaid and the 5 or 10
legionnaires about it.  None of them got up to look outside.

>Jim Follett <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>It was a Friday night (this I remember), we
>we're partying over at a friends apartment, typical end of week college fare, I
>had to drive my girlfriend home, she lived about 25 miles down the road, so the
>two of us, and a friend (Fred) took off in my mom's 72 Duster to take her
>home. Of course the whole time the sky is just boiling with color. On the way
>back to my friends place one of the local sheriff deputies pulls us over, mom's
>car had a bad taillight housing, and the bulb would sometimes fall out. So the
>deputy is going through the usual stuff asking for paperwork, while Fred and I
>are checking out the light show, "hey look at that, no check this out, WOW!!!!,
>man did you see that?" Not once did that deputy look up to see what we were so
>engrossed in, I popped the trunk, stuck the light back together, got my
>paperwork back, with a comment about getting the car fixed, to this day I wonder
>if he ever looked up, if he didn't it was his lose. BTW, it went on all night
>long, I have never seen the lights, nor heard of them being this active since.
>
>Wish it would happen again
>Ah hell, I'm too far south anyway
>
>Jim
>
>> Right on.  That was the night with the sweetie on
>> the fence.   It is amazing how many people I have talked with who
>> were drawn outdoors and "chanced" to see it that night.   It was one
>> of the best for us Southerners.   Sure beat a tsunami for a
>> universal something to talk about across the continent.
>> cp in bc

Martin C. Tangora	
University of Illinois at Chicago
[log in to unmask]

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