Totality

It hit me the other day that I never really posted about the solar eclipse last summer. My super fantastic husband arranged for us to drive down into totality, rather than view the partial eclipse Mackinac Island was going to get.

He did a ton of research and found this lovely little park in Murphysboro, Illinois.   It was perfect - quaint and quiet. We started to worry early in the day as we watched thunderheads building nearby, but Mother Nature cooperated and we weren't disappointed. Right on time, the moon showed up and treated us to this:

Photo courtesy of Nick Ulivieri

It's not my picture (none of mine turned out nearly as well,) but it was taken from Murphysboro.  Pictures, even this one, just don't do totality justice. It was such an incredible sight. I never really understood eclipse chasers - until I experienced totality myself.

Before totality, we had a wonderful time playing around with eclipse viewing methods:

through the trees, 

through our hands,

and of course, through our eclipse viewers. 

As silly as it may sound, the two and a half minutes of totality we experienced that day was probably the most incredible thing I've ever seen with my own eyes. Really. The 13 hour drive back to Michigan was completely worth it. It was so amazing, we're already planning for the next total solar eclipse  to hit the United States. Did you know another one was coming? It doesn't cross coast to coast, but it still hits a number of states.

And, ever so conveniently, my husband's parent's backyard is smack dab right in totality.   One guess where we'll be on April 8, 2025.

On the Mend

Things have been quiet around our house this week ever since my daughter got her tonsils and her adenoids removed. She's been a trooper through the whole thing. (She was even willing to get her IV before she was sedated.) Her trusty friend, Wonker, has been at her side the whole time, which I think helped. Her lovely volleyball teammates gave her a giant adorable octopus, but he was too big to go with us.

She asked her doctor if she would save her tonsils. "I don't want to keep them," K said. "I just want to see what they look like." (She is so my daughter.)

After a quick discussion, K and her doctor agreed she could bring a camera to surgery; that way the doctor could get pictures of the the tonsils for her since medical waste wasn't allowed to leave the O.R. with a patient. K's surgeon's sense of humor was clearly evident when we got home and peeked at the pictures. (Remember, we gave the doctor our consent to take photos in the operating room.)

Stop now if you don't want to see K's tonsils...

Everyone at the hospital was wonderful. I appreciated how they were willing to work with our scheduling constraints - given that we needed to be released in time to catch a ferry boat home. 

It amazes me that back in my dad's day a tonsillectomy meant a three day stay in the hospital; and here she was, in and out in under seven hours. K is on the mend and getting lots of ice cream and Jello. (Not a big fan of the Boost.) She's still uncomfortable, but each day is getting a little better...

Oops

The Ashtabula had a little trouble yesterday as she made her way past the Island.  It was super windy and apparently the wind and waves pushed her a little too close to Round Island - where she ran aground.

If you click on the picture up above to enlarge it, you can see that she is listing ever so slightly to her starboard side. Probably not a very pleasant day for her crew. Luckily, as of this morning, she was free.

photo via US Goast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie

PEMDAS

My students love this video and have been having trouble finding it to watch. I hope posting it here will make it easy for them to find. 

For everyone else - enjoy this catchy little ear worm - sorry if it makes you feel old. Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally is so 1980s, PEMDAS is the way to go these days...

Back in the Saddle

Henry the Pony, a resident of  The Little Barn, stopped by the Mackinac Island School yesterday to help us celebrate the first day of school. My students (six fifth graders and seven sixth graders) loved visiting with Henry.  Such a Mackinac way to kick off a new school year...