August 21:  How many people are fortunate enough to have a total solar eclipse pass directly over their house? On August 19 Nancy and I flew from Hartford to Greenville, South Carolina to visit lifelong dear friends Ruth and Bill Culp in Simpsonville – right on the path of the “Great American Eclipse of 2017.”

The weather forecast looked iffy when we left home, but in the end Mother Nature cooperated and eclipse day turned out to be 93 degrees with a nearly cloudless blue sky ideal for optimal viewing.

There is nothing as spectacular in nature even close to a total solar eclipse and everyone should make it a point to try to see one at least once in their lifetime – even if it entails air travel. We experienced our first one in Aruba in 1998. Next opportunity in North America will be in April, 2024.

Here is the gallery of eclipse images. Totality duration was two minutes and ten seconds. All images were taken at ISO 200 and F9, with different shutter speeds to bring out the different features.