Sunny with 70% chance of obscurity

Every eclipse does not come from Japan.

 It was time to enjoy the solar eclipse in Rochester, NY.  The travel budget exhausted, a trip to the "Path of Totality" was out of the question.  So ten minutes before peak viewing time, a pinhole projector box was constructed so that we could enjoy a visage of the 70% obscured sun.

A fine piece of engineering, don't you think?

My lovely partner, Mary, demonstrating proper projector viewing technique.

Why are there two suns visible?
What planet are we on?

It took far too long, but it finally became apparent that multiple images
were the result of unexpected holes in the corners of the box.
Not all bad, these holes provided different exposures due to their larger size.
Not all good, the larger holes were less well focussed.

Finally got it more or less right
with the pinhole providing the projection.
Pretty good representation of cloud cover, too.

Performance might have been better if this box was used.

Had I been in the path of totality,
I would have had one of these.
Never thought about it before,
but if you ignore the cap text
and consider way the bright yellow surrounds the dark area...

Bottom line?  With 70% of the sunlight obscured, it was a brighter than usual day in Rochester.

-----------------------------

Improvements to be considered

for April 8, 2024

A fine rendition via optics.

A similar approach including pool and beverage.
Maybe the pool is not appropriate for the next eclipse in April of 2024.

Flakey Business

It's a beautiful day!

I don't need to go anywhere,
and the snowblower is broken,
so it's time to ski!

More fun in the flakes!  Do you embrace or decry?

The monochrome world.
But this picture doesn't properly tell the story.

That's more like it.
The flakes were driven into my face by the northwesterly wind.

Knowing what is close and far is easy
since contrast fades as the distance increases.

Do you also hear the narrow bridge calling?
"You can make it...slide down the hill and across me."

The view from across the bridge and up the hill on the other side.

It's a beautiful sun-shiny day!

Hope I have enough sunscreen on.

One track up, one track down.

Where is everyone on this fine day?

There must be at least 50 shades of gray in this picture.
Perhaps that would be a good title for a book about cross-country skiing.

Time to head back home.
Sometimes gloves are not kind to fingers.
I should have worn my mittens.

Yes, it is snowing, and there are flakes the size of houses.
Some of them look like google-eyed men with long noses.
And a small beanie.

It's always easier to follow your track back home.

Especially when you keep your skis in the tracks.

Interesting how the same narrative can engender multiple reactions.  Some will be glad they can experience this, while others will reconfirm their decision to avoid it altogether.  A few will wish they could share the joy, and yet another group will lament being trapped in an unforgiving climate they don't believe they can escape.

Which group is yours?

YOU NEED SOME SUNSHINE !!!

Never know what you're going to see just driving along.

All the same, but every one different.

Guess how many...win a prize!

There's one in every crowd.

Bee heaven.

Have a nice day!

The field is a few miles south of Seneca Falls on Route 414 in the Finger Lakes region of New York State.