It was Monday, the 8th of April. I woke up late as I do on most days. The sun was shining outside, the sky was as blue as it could be. Followed by incessant meows, I fed my cat and laid back on my bed. It could be just a normal day, I thought – but it was not. It was the day of the eclipse. And not only was Fredericton in the path of the eclipse, it was also in the path of totality. Exciting, right?
Taking advantage of that, the City of Fredericton put on an event called EclipseFest: a collection of eclipse-themed activities facilitated by different organizations in the community. There were vendors in the Historical Quarter, selling everything from food to jewelry. The NB Sports Hall of Fame had an open house, and would also transmit the eclipse from the NASA broadcast. Science East and the Fredericton Public Library boasted of a plethora of activities. Families took to the sidewalks with their dog to bask in the sunlight. It is always great to see so many people breaking from their winter cocoons. Caterpillars-turned-butterflies under the not-so-scalding sun.
I would be glad if that sense of warmth and community was all I got from the eclipse experience. You see, in typical Sophia fashion, I had forgotten to buy appropriate glasses. I made a gamble, assuming that they’d be available at the events. Indeed, they were. Except I had expected to pick them up at Picaroon’s (they had a sweet buy a pint, get a glass deal) – and ended up getting them at the Historical Quarter. Thank God! Otherwise I would have needed to queue up for forty-five minutes to get a pint.
After finishing my hamburger, I headed outside to watch the eclipse. At that point, it was half-way towards totality. All tables were taken, and I had not brought any camping chairs. I walked a little bit beyond the Roundhouse to find a nice spot, and sat on the grass – as one does. It was a chilling event. Both because of its once-in-a-lifetime nature and the sudden coldness that I felt when the eclipse reached totality. At that moment, I was glad I had overdressed. Some people did not even have jackets on them!
It was a joy to experience this day. It is not that often that I see the Fredericton community outside, having fun together. I hope I am alive to experience the next one, and I hope you are too – whoever you are.
The Apologist 
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