Finishing what was supposed to be just one long post...

August 21. Eclipse day!

These pictures were taken by a good friend, Max Armstrong, while we were at the Hinton Rural Life Center near Hayesville, NC. Totality occurred about 2:33. We were able to see the entire eclipse, all 3 hours of it, with no clouds obstructing our view. People as near as 20 miles from us were completely clouded out. 

Before and after totality guests of Hinton (where I had also made an eclipse presentation or 2) viewed the partial phase of the eclipse through my Coronado Solar Max II (60mm) scope.

Me at the solar scope, with others waiting for a view.

Proof that pin hole projection really does work (as though it was needed!).

View through the solar scope.

The image above is a picture taken with the afocal technique, ie, the camera lens pointed at the eyepiece of the scope. It's overexposed. The color of the sun was actually the red color that is the predominant color in this image. For a handheld afocal image, though, this is really pretty good. Four sunspots were easily visible, as were several prominences. Two of the prominences seen during totality (naked eye even), are being covered by the moon.

Landscape at 2:32PM, 1 minute before totality.

Same as above, except taken at 2:34, 1 minute into totality.

Totality

And finally, totality, showing the solor corona, moon, and, on the right side of the moon, the red of the chromoshpere which is brightest where the prominences were visible.

For now, that's all the images and adventures I've had; I'm all caught up. I'll need more clear nights before I can publish more.
For now, though, thanks for reading.