ANNULAR ECLIPSE 2012

The family and I drove nonstop to Albuquerque, New Mexico this past Saturday for the sole purpose of seeing the 2012 annular eclipse, which began somewhere in China and ended a short time later in Texas just across the border from NM. By the time we arrived, checked into a hotel and had dinner in Old Town Albuquerque, the day was largely over. In one of the art gallery’s I came across the work of an artist who I liked, bought a piece and hope to have him do more for me. Saintfied dead artists and musicians. Sid Vicious with a halo??

D-Day was Sunday. We spent the late morning/early afternoon hiking in the Petroglyph National Monument on the mesa west of town. The hike we did had over 5000 documented petroglyphs pecked in the dessert varnish on the rock surfaces, blocks of basalt on the edge of a 150 thousand year old lava flow. They were created in this harsh landscape 400 or more years ago.  At this time I began hearing that things were going to be busy around eclipse time, the west side of the monument (where the cinder cones were and where I wanted to be) being closed because “all tickets had been sold.” I overheard others talk about being on the west side of town late in the afternoon as well. After the two hour hike in the monument we drove back to Old Town Albuquerque where we did some more tourist shopping and had an early dinner. By 5 PM we found ourselves with a few other drivers parked in the right of way along the road leading up to the west entrance to the monument, setting up our gear along the fence line with a clear view to the west. We were within a mile of the centerline for the eclipse. A few clouds were present that eventually burned off before the critical moment. Soon vehicle after vehicle pulled up and parked up and down the fence line and a festive, circus-like atmosphere ensued. Tables came out, lawn chairs, food and drink. I heard someone say this was a big gathering of nerds. The ultra light airplanes joined us, buzzing the fence line 20 feet off the ground.

At 6:28 the show began at first contact, the edge of the sun dimpled by the moon. We watched as the moon took more and more out of the suns disk, its progress marked by noting when it covered three prominent sunspot groups visible on the sun's surface. The moment everyone was waiting for happened around 7:30. The trailing edge of the moon gradually moved onto the sun’s disk, second contact. You could easily see the moon’s movement as the two points of the light crescent moved towards one another, touch and complete the “ring of fire.” This bright ring was visible for a little over 4 minutes, during which the throng of people cheered and clapped. The ring was broken at third contact and the eclipse went in reverse with the moon exiting the suns disk on its upper left-hand side. People gradually began returning to their vehicles and made their way back to Albuquerque. We waited for sunset along with a bunch of others. And it was a spectacular sunset with a crescent sun setting behind distant mountains. 

Then it all came to an end and the remaining vehicles returned to the highway and back home. We drove out of Albuquerque by 9 PM and were back home in Colorado by 3:30 AM. Lots of driving but the whole experience was worth it. Our daughter’s high school graduation ceremony began at 8 AM. I was tired all day.

The next total eclipse is happening in November in Australia! Who’s going?

The night before our departure I listened to some music.  I continued with The Doors, listening to their second show in the evening of January 17, 1970.  A fantastic show on this great quality recordin!

It was written:

It is this spontaneous fire that made the Doors, and the performances contained within this set, such an exciting live act. Take for instance the three searing versions of “Who Do You Love?” The first one, from the first show, is the one we all know and love from the much loved In Concert album. Here, in it’s original running order in the show, followed by a dramatically perfect “Little Red Rooster,” a boogiefied “Money” and a pointed “Light My Fire,” we can hear just how capable the band was of providing blistering blues one minute, and psychedelic wonder the next.

One of the more interesting aspects of this set is getting to hear the progression of the band, and the ecstatic New York crowd, over four distinct shows. As each show progresses you can hear the band taking just a few more chances in the music. Compare the evening show of the first night to the earlier show and the band sounds just a little more loose, wild, and perhaps like they’ve been doing some backstage “relaxing” between shows. The crowd too becomes a part of the performances, growing ever more passionate as the nights goes on.

Read it all here:
http://www.musicmookreview.com/2011/05/the-doors-live-in-new-york-1970/

The second half of the evening was spent with Ian McCulloch, listening to his Pledge Music release of his latest solo album.  I'm still listening to it to get a better sense of the completed work.  It has been various described as "a boring pile of shit",  "nought earth shattering new on it", "apathetic",   "Adult Contemporary", "children's nursery rhymes",  "it's overwhelmed by schmaltz" and corny and cliched," all of which I agree with based on my limited exposure to it.  Many others like it, but I'm finding it easy to disagree.

Can't wait to get the autographed copy of his acustic performance at the Liverpool Anglican Cathederal.  That I know will sound like heaven!