Matthew J. Spireng Mowing the Lawn During a Solar Eclipse Not total here, so I wasn’t sure exactly when the moon would take its biggest bite from the sun. And with high clouds, any lessening of light might be a false sign. But as I passed beneath the big maple on the riding mower I saw on the ground where small patches of light shone through the leaves and branches countless crescent moons—partial eclipse? I’d no protective glasses, so I couldn’t check when I emerged from beneath the tree, but the signs seemed certain. Later, when I passed again beneath the big maple to return the mower to the barn and saw no crescent shapes on the ground, I was sure I’d witnessed what I dared not see.
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