Planning only gets you so far when chasing a full solar eclipse, but the Texas clouds dispersed Monday (April 8) for Saanich father and son Steve and Connor Hickton.
Under generally overcast skies in south Texas, the duo packed up and left their San Antonio hotel at 4 a.m., embarking on what would be a three-hour drive to evade cloud cover.
“Connor did an expert job of finding weather apps and eclipse maps and they directed us to a little town called Goldthwaite about three hours from San Antonio,” Steve said, pride evident in his son’s ability to manoeuvre both apps and “crazy San Antonio traffic.”
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The pair of astronomy enthusiasts set up in an elementary school parking lot and waited.
“At that point it was up to the weather gods and at first it wasn’t looking good, but as the hour approached it slowly began clearing and we were getting more and more excited as it looked like it might happen,” Steve said. “Then the moment arrived at it was perfect – sunny and clear.”
An unforgettable day and moment, they snapped some memento photos but really focused on the moment – their second eclipse enjoyed as father-son experience.
“(We) made an effort this time to concentrate on just enjoying the experience and not get all wrapped up in the technology of fiddling with cameras and cell phones,” Steve said. “The eclipse is beyond words – one of those grand moments in life.”