I’m sitting in a dark hotel room on the eve of my first - and possibly only - total solar eclipse, with my partner and step-son, and I am positively awash with emotions.

I have been waiting for this day for 30 years, since my first partial eclipse in May of 1994. That was an underwhelming experience for many reasons, but not the least of them was that I had nothing and no one to view the eclipse with.

Three decades, two astronomy degrees, 5 years operating a planetarium, and 5 years as a guide at the local observatory later, and I’m fully prepared. Today, I have more viewing glasses than i have fingers, two cameras with filters, I have my family, and I am smack dab in the middle of the path of totality.

And the forecast calls for clear skies.

I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that this is actually happening for me. That everything looks like it’s going to work out.

The only disappointment is that I discovered that Potato World exists - it’s the New Brunswick potato museum (and it’s next door to my hotel) - but it’s closed!

  • gimpchrist
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    6 months ago
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    Hello from someone who lives in New brunswick! Small world

    • KichaeOPEnglish
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      6 months ago
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      You’ve had Potato World all this time, and you didn’t share it with your neighbours??!?

      • Zammy95
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        6 months ago
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        I feel like no one else in the comments cares. I’m so VERY interested in Potato World.

        I mean, not as much as in the eclipse, but still VERY interested.

        • KichaeOPEnglish
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          6 months ago
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          Right??!?

          And it’s a pretty big place, all things considered. But it’s seemingly only open from September to mid-October.

          • gimpchrist
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            6 months ago
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            That seems like a reasonably potato filled kind of time down here in Canada

      • gimpchrist
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        6 months ago
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        I honestly had no idea, I figured potato world is just what we called Pei