The day of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
August 21, 2017
We had just gotten back from preparing the Stowell home for tours this morning when our friend Ralph showed up to mow, edge, and trim the yard at the Knight home. Ralph is such a cheerful, friendly guy, and he really takes his time to make sure the grounds around the home always look well-manicured. We have had so much rain while we've been here that everything is thriving beautifully. Eric took the time to polish the statues at both homes today to ensure that they will continue to stay shiny and bright.
While Ralph was still busily engaged in mowing the lawn, our first tour of the day showed up. It was a family from Salem, Utah, named the Fausetts, and their daughter just returned a week ago from serving in the New York, Utica mission which includes this area. The family is here touring where she served. We had a wonderful time showing them both homes and visiting with them. Their older children attended Spanish Fork High before Salem High School was built, so we were comparing the ages of our children to see if any of our kids might know theirs. They were the first of our tours that wanted to go into the basement at the Knight home to see the flagstone foundation that the Knights laid up, that is still supporting the home 202 years later. We usually don't even bring the foundation up during the tour, but the Fausetts brought it up and asked if they could see it, so we included a trip to the basement in their tour.
We tracked the solar eclipse's path of totality on the internet throughout the afternoon when we were free to do so. It was pretty cloudy here when it passed over our way, so we didn't really get to see much of it here, but we did notice it get visibly darker and cooler at the time it passed through. We only had a partial eclipse here since we were not in the path of totality. Matthew and Ally are in Rexburg so they were in a total eclipse, and they have sent us their pictures and video for us to enjoy. It was a pretty awesome sight, and we have been talking about how it is most certainly a sign and wonder in the heavens.
Today was day 12 of our being docents here, and this experience must be really sinking deeply into my subconscious mind because I have been conducting tours of various places in my dreams the last two nights. I think one of the places I was guiding a tour in my dream was the Joseph Smith Memorial building in Salt Lake City, and Eric and I were living in an apartment there. I don't remember the other dream very vividly now; I just remember it had to do with conducting a tour of someplace. Our experience here has been wonderful in every aspect, so I don't mind that I guide tours in my dreams as well.
We drove down the road to the picturesque Village of Sidney this evening and picked up a few needed items at the grocery store there. We passed a road just before Sidney that has six different churches on it. We have been amazed at all the churches here, and they are of all different denominations as well. The Greene Branch works closely with all the other churches in the area to do fundraisers and provide service in the various communities. The other denominations know they can always count on the Greene Branch to come through with many people turning out to help with whatever activity they are involved in. They have gained a great reputation for being dependable. It has been neat to see that.
We just had our Family Home Evening lesson and we are now getting ready to turn in for the night. The days are passing much too quickly, and we are hoping to make the most of every moment we have left here.
We had just gotten back from preparing the Stowell home for tours this morning when our friend Ralph showed up to mow, edge, and trim the yard at the Knight home. Ralph is such a cheerful, friendly guy, and he really takes his time to make sure the grounds around the home always look well-manicured. We have had so much rain while we've been here that everything is thriving beautifully. Eric took the time to polish the statues at both homes today to ensure that they will continue to stay shiny and bright.
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| The Knight yard that is so well cared for by Ralph. Eric polished the statue of Joseph and Hyrum at the far right of the picture. |
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| Ralph also cares for the yard at the Stowell home. |
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| The statue at the Stowell home that Eric polished today. |
While Ralph was still busily engaged in mowing the lawn, our first tour of the day showed up. It was a family from Salem, Utah, named the Fausetts, and their daughter just returned a week ago from serving in the New York, Utica mission which includes this area. The family is here touring where she served. We had a wonderful time showing them both homes and visiting with them. Their older children attended Spanish Fork High before Salem High School was built, so we were comparing the ages of our children to see if any of our kids might know theirs. They were the first of our tours that wanted to go into the basement at the Knight home to see the flagstone foundation that the Knights laid up, that is still supporting the home 202 years later. We usually don't even bring the foundation up during the tour, but the Fausetts brought it up and asked if they could see it, so we included a trip to the basement in their tour.
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| The flagstone foundation in the Knight home. The stones were fitted together so tightly without mortar. |
We tracked the solar eclipse's path of totality on the internet throughout the afternoon when we were free to do so. It was pretty cloudy here when it passed over our way, so we didn't really get to see much of it here, but we did notice it get visibly darker and cooler at the time it passed through. We only had a partial eclipse here since we were not in the path of totality. Matthew and Ally are in Rexburg so they were in a total eclipse, and they have sent us their pictures and video for us to enjoy. It was a pretty awesome sight, and we have been talking about how it is most certainly a sign and wonder in the heavens.
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| A total solar eclipse picture taken by Ally in Rexburg, Idaho today. |
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| Pictures taken by Miranda's sister of the solar eclipse in Utah today. |
Today was day 12 of our being docents here, and this experience must be really sinking deeply into my subconscious mind because I have been conducting tours of various places in my dreams the last two nights. I think one of the places I was guiding a tour in my dream was the Joseph Smith Memorial building in Salt Lake City, and Eric and I were living in an apartment there. I don't remember the other dream very vividly now; I just remember it had to do with conducting a tour of someplace. Our experience here has been wonderful in every aspect, so I don't mind that I guide tours in my dreams as well.
We drove down the road to the picturesque Village of Sidney this evening and picked up a few needed items at the grocery store there. We passed a road just before Sidney that has six different churches on it. We have been amazed at all the churches here, and they are of all different denominations as well. The Greene Branch works closely with all the other churches in the area to do fundraisers and provide service in the various communities. The other denominations know they can always count on the Greene Branch to come through with many people turning out to help with whatever activity they are involved in. They have gained a great reputation for being dependable. It has been neat to see that.
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| A scene on the way to Sidney. |
We just had our Family Home Evening lesson and we are now getting ready to turn in for the night. The days are passing much too quickly, and we are hoping to make the most of every moment we have left here.
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