Watching the solar eclipse?

Three Parisian women watching the solar eclipse of 8 April 1921 on the Cour du Havre, next to the gare Saint-Lazare. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Are you watching today's solar eclipse? How are you watching? From where and with whom? Depending on when you read this it may all be past tense, but either way, I'd love to hear your view on the phenomenon.

I will be watching... from my backyard with only my dog, Mickey, as my companion to ooh and aah over the event. And I'll be sporting my mandatory eclipse spectacles for a direct view of the show.

My eclipse glasses became nearly a no-go for me (and mine) at the last minute, despite my having ordered several pair for my entire family a month or so ago. The glasses were on backorder when I purchased them from Amazon but finally arrived last Tuesday, just in time for me to send via priority mail glasses for my grandsons and daughters and their hubbies.

With all the hooplah over counterfeit (and dangerous) glasses in the news and online, I figured I better check mine one last time before sending sets to Brayden, Declan, and Camden. That check turned up articles about the counterfeit ones from some Amazon sellers. Mine were part of the bad bunch, their certification not confirmed.

I contacted Amazon, they refunded my money, I searched high and low for local sellers, and came up with nothing. Nada. No-go for glasses for my family whom I thought I had safely covered for the solar show.

I was so very bummed.

But what can ya do.

Then, while searching Friday for info on ensuring my camera won't be ruined by shooting the sun, I came upon an updated list of certified solar glasses. And, yes, mine were on there! Hooray! The maker of mine had simply been slow in supplying the required certification and Amazon had simply been being safe.

Woot! We had glasses!

But, being Friday evening and all, I didn't have time to get them delivered to my desert-dwelling grandsons and their parents in time. Not even if I paid the price for priority overnight delivery.

Which stinks.

Andrea and Brianna were able to pick up theirs for their families on Saturday, Jim and I have ours set to use on Monday. Unfortunately Megan and the boys have none. But... what can ya do? Thankfully they're all young enough to catch the next total solar eclipse in their area — in 2023. I'll be sure to send them certified glasses for that one well in advance.

Happy — and safe — viewing however you may be watching, wherever you may be watching from!