Did you see the eclipse?

I drove for more than 14 hours and 859 miles to see it, and that is little compared to some.

More than a year ago, I learned of the rare reachable total solar eclipse that would occur this past Monday.

August 21, 2017 would be seared into my brain and I became a bit obsessed with what it entailed.

Consider this to be the Olympics for landscape photographers.  We know the date is coming and we must do everything necessary to make sure we seize the moment when it arrives.

I won't say that clicking a button is harder than running 800 meters in the mere short 90-120 seconds both events occur. 

Yet in a weird way, years of experience and learning about what is in store is probably the same for both a race and the eclipse.  

Both require practice and planning so that when the moment arrives, it isn't too big.

The eclipse eve (Sunday) finally came and off I went to Omaha, a head start from my home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.  My plan was to wake up early, check out weather forecasts and cloud reports, and then either head south to Kansas City or head west through Nebraska.  I think my mind was racing so much about this opportunity that I could not relax enough to get to sleep.  I probably ended up with about two hours of sleep.  At least I could count on my best friend--coffee.  

That was until I was prepping the coffee pot and when I ripped that cheap hotel coffee packet, grains exploded everywhere.  Sigh.

I hopped in the car at 5:30am where I was greeted by a furious thunderstorm as I approached Lincoln, Nebraska.  Let's just say I wasn't happy.  The good news is that the storm seemed to be isolated and I made the decision to sweep west across Nebraska.  The highway was busy with traffic, displaying that everyone had the same plan.

The light slowly changed from gloomy to sunny, and my spirit did as well.

I arrived north of North Platte and found a friendly person waiving people into a private farm field for twenty bucks. (I was a little surprised I didn't see more opportunities to stop somewhere.)

I thought:

I'd like to be focused by myself, but perhaps something like this should not be witnessed alone.

There was plenty of room for me to set up and go through my mental game plan.

To kill some time, I found some other photo opportunities.

The moment was just a minute away. 

Suddenly, the light began to dim.  
The sensation is impossible to replicate.
Darkness fell, and the beauty of it all can hardly be put into words.  

Click, click, click went my camera.  I checked the image on the back of my camera.  Hands shaking.

Lens and focus recalibrated.  Precious seconds ticking away.
Click.

Let's be real for a second.  

Not everyone gets all crazy about an eclipse like some of us do.  I'm pretty sure there wasn't a single person that regretted their journey to see this.  I saw license plates from all over the country.

It's hard to imagine that I will ever see something more visually remarkable than this fleeting moment.

I am so blessed that I was given the opportunity and that mother nature let me see it and capture it so it will last forever.

If you saw it and want to remember the moment forever, let me help you.