On February 24, 1979, Humboldt State University played a football game against Sac State in Sacramento. I was a Humboldt cheerleader our team was the Fighting Lumberjacks.

Mom drove down from Placerville and met me at the game. After the game we drove together to the Oregon boarder where we spent the night. We had planned to take a straight shot across a dry lake bed (with road) but it was flooded. We wound up in Walla Walla, Washington the night of the 25th. Our destination? The total eclipse of the sun on February 26, Somewhere, Washington.

The motel was packed with “eclipto-philes.” The place was a-buzz over the next morning’s total eclipse of the sun. One problem: it was raining.

We went to bed with hopes sinking, especially when we awoke to more storm clouds and rain. No breakfast, just pack the car and GO!

I drove, as what usually happens in poor driving conditions. It wasn’t even dawn yet, sometime around 6:00 a.m. when we got onto Highway 84 which runs east-west along the Columbia River. The little Datsun Honeybee’s AM radio was tuned to an eclipse watch station.

Still, it rained.

A white van with a telescope sticking out it’s rear turned right, I wondered if I should follow? No, stay on the highway, keep going.

The radio announcer said it had begun! But it was still overcast, but the rain had turned to drizzle. Boy, did I have to pee!

Quick! Turn right onto US-97 / Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. Cross the Columbia River and there’s a park! With restrooms! I make a dash for it and as soon as I emerge the parking lot is full, the hillside road is a string of parked cars, and where all of those cars came from is anyone’s guess.

Everyone has special lenses to look at the sun it seems. My dad had made a pair for Mom and me. We’re all looking up through the clouds, clouds that are now miraculously parting!

Totality!

A shout of joy erupts from the crowd. Lenses are lowered and another shout is heard as everyone gazes at the solar corona with their naked eyes. I take a picture with my Kodak Instamatic camera. Time stops. Lights come on the bridge.

Then as it appeared, it disappeared. The moon’s shadow moved, sunlight shone, clouds came back and so did the rain.

But a memory was made for a life time.