Not surprisingly, I’m going to write about the historic eclipse we just witnessed. I don’t really like to use the word epic1I must admit that I may have been a tad judgmental regarding the word epic after perusing Merriam-Webster for the definition and history of the word. Well, that didn’t take long. The Local Controller just noted: “What?! You, judgmental? Say it ain’t so!” I walked right into that. Score 1 for LC. Where was I? Oh yeah, M-W’s information on the word epic. It originated from old English narrative poems of great deeds and heroes. Cue up the tales of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Robin Hood, Rob Roy, William Wallace, Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and many, many others. It seems the modern use of the word is largely synonymous with outstanding, fabulous or impressive. Here’s the humbling part: Outstanding originally meant something that stuck out or projected, fabulous was used in regard to fables, and impressive meant capable of being impressed. https://armuni.org/4cYM8zS a great deal. It’s overused these days and its impact has been diminished. In this instance, however, I can hardly think of a better term. The 2024 total solar eclipse was epic! It mesmerized and transfixed most of us regardless of our interest in astronomy, or the lack thereof. While I was excited about it, I must say I didn’t get why folks would travel here from faraway lands to watch it. And by faraway lands I don’t mean Oklahoma2Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, thanks in large part to it having been mostly freed of misfits, outlaws and ne’er-do-wells by Judge Isaac Parker and Marshall Bass Reeves. You may fondly remember the musical Oklahoma by Oscar Hammerstein II. Oscar wrote the book and the lyrics. A fella named Richard Rodgers wrote the music. They were known, of course, as Rodgers and Hammerstein. You may not recall fondly the tune “Boomer Sooner” if you’ve ever gone to a University of Oklahoma football game where they scored a great deal! 3For you history buffs here’s a couple of links for Oklahoma (https://armuni.org/49zLHcd), Parker (https://armuni.org/3Qqypbx), Reeves (https://armuni.org/3JlFq9i), Rodgers (https://armuni.org/4aB5Cc5), Hammerstein (https://armuni.org/3xyCaop), ne’re-do-wells (https://armuni.org/3Uh8zsu) and “Boomer Sooner” (https://armuni.org/49BQBp6). . I mean California4California was admitted to the Union in 1850. The state has a rich and very long history. https://armuni.org/3JpWknb, Maryland5Maryland was admitted to the Union in 1788. https://armuni.org/4cXvWP5 and Florida6Florida was admitted to the Union in 1845. https://armuni.org/44g6O2t to name a few. Let’s not forget England. That’s the one across the pond, not the one down the road near Keo. I’m not kidding, Great Britain7The United Kingdom’s history is complicated to say the very least. A couple of things are clear and easy to digest. Wales was joined to England in 1536 followed by Scotland in 1707 and Ireland (in part) in 1801. https://armuni.org/4aMpMzO was in the house! Not my house. I meant it more as a euphemism for being in Arkansas. The Local Controller is somewhere between horrified and fractured. I believe I heard her mumble: “Really?! You already have three footnotes that are longer than the column! What’s wrong with you? Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson?!8“No, no, no! Don’t do it Mark!” Make that four footnotes! Here’s some information on Horatio himself. While his fleet was victorious over Napoleon at Trafalgar, Nelson was shot and killed by a French sniper. He was also known as Viscount Nelson and Baron Nelson. https://armuni.org/4cPsdmK You gotta be kidding me.”
I’d better get back to the eclipse9https://armuni.org/3VYxylC. According to Arkansas State Parks more than 200,000 visitors from 48 states and several countries visited the parks system10https://armuni.org/4cXwRPx. Of course that doesn’t include those eclipse followers staying in hotels, short-term rentals and with friends and family. We hosted two couples from Alabama and New Mexico11Alabama was admitted to the Union in 1819, which was before they had good football teams. https://armuni.org/3xMpwlK New Mexico was admitted to the Union in 1912. I was a sophomore in high school. https://armuni.org/3TXSC9w. We don’t have final numbers on visitors and sales taxes yet, but I feel certain there was a pretty good impact on the state. My oldest son Franz12Franz was named after my dad, Franz Ulmer Hayes. I sure miss him. runs a hotel in Little Rock and they were booked solid at rates substantially above the norm. I’ve heard the same about places in Russellville and Morrilton. I know several mayors who pushed out social media posts about the availability of local facilities for camping. They also reported pretty good turnouts.
We were fortunate to experience the event on our pontoon boat on Lake Hamilton. What stunned me the most were the changes in colors, lighting and temperature as we moved through the event. I hadn’t really thought much about it before experiencing it. As I said, I didn’t understand why folks would travel from around the country and the world to experience it. I do now13Here’s a great resource on what we just experienced. https://armuni.org/3VYxylC. What an incredible experience. It was both beautiful and eerie. I noticed primary colors were somewhat difficult to distinguish as the sky grew darker. The temperature dropped considerably. Silence ensued. Even the Canada14Canada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1867. Canadians may be the nicest people on the face of the earth. https://armuni.org/49wYIU0 geese15The geese, however, need to learn some manners from their human companions north of the U.S. border. They are territorial and LOUD! https://armuni.org/4cXxetp got quiet after being really stirred up all morning leading up to the darkness. They scurried, flew and honked far more than normal. I watched our dog Olive throughout the day. She was on the boat but was unaffected. Frankly, she was way more engaged with our guests giving her snacks and belly rubs.
When darkness fell, we could hear hoots and howls across the water and yes, we joined right in. I also took note of all the automatic porch lights coming on from the surrounding condos and houses. And then the light came back slowly but surely and life started again. The entire experience, while short, was much more affecting than I expected or can fully describe. Marvelous really. Quite marvelous indeed.
I will say, LC outdid herself in the hostess department. She put together gift bags for our guests with eclipse t-shirts, commemorative cups, Moon Pies and other knickknacks. She also planned a lake snack and then lunch menu. The snack was really creative. She got small plastic tackle boxes and created a sticker for the lid saying I tackled a total solar eclipse in Hot Springs, Arkansas! Get it? Small tackle box with snacks! She just jumped back into the fray noting: “They get it! Move on big guy!” Ok, ok, ok. Moving on.
Total solar eclipses occur approximately every 18 months around the world but a particular spot will only see one every 375 years or so16https://armuni.org/49BTKVR. Arkansas did get one in June of 1918, but it followed a different path across the state1716 Id.. The U.S. will next experience one on March 30, 2033, in northwestern Alaska18Alaska joined the Union in 1959, the year before I was born! https://armuni.org/49AXeYY. Northwestern Alaska in March doesn’t sound appealing from a weather and comfort standpoint. After that, the next one is in August 2044 with the path of totality crossing Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota19In order, they joined the Union in 1889, 1889 and 1889. Sounds like they had a plan. Montana (https://armuni.org/3xMt0Vm), North Dakota (https://armuni.org/49E3oHR), South Dakota (https://armuni.org/3UfIMRF).. I’m 64 so I don’t see a high probability of experiencing that one, and I’m not going to northwestern Alaska! On August 12, 2026, there’s another one that will travel across Russia, Greenland, Iceland and Spain. LC just perked up. Seems Iceland and Spain are in our future. Totality will last only 2 minutes and 18 seconds, but there’s another one in August 2027 that will be over 6 minutes. It’ll cover Spain, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia and the British Indian Ocean Territory. I had to look that last one up. It’s due east from Kenya and Somalia approximately halfway between East Africa and Indonesia covering 640,000 square miles of ocean. There are 58 islands making up the archipelago of the territory. A quick check on my Google machine tells me it’s hot in August but there are some tourist destinations in the territory. It’s at least a 20- to 24-hour travel time so that’s out. Oh, and the flights are expensive.
Seeing the eclipse was a great treat for all of us. I particularly enjoyed it given my newfound sight capabilities. I tore the retina in my left eye last September and had to have emergency surgery. The tale is quite entertaining. From over my shoulder I hear LC’s melodious voice: “No it’s not. Move on!” Fine, fine, fine. Moving on. Fairly typical after tearing a retina is that a cataract forms. That’s what happened to yours truly. So, I went from blindness due to the torn retina to fuzziness due to the cataract. Yay me. I had cataract surgery a couple of weeks ago and let me tell ya, it’s miraculous. I can see out of my left eye! I can see 20/25 as of the day I’m writing this column and the doc says he’ll get me to 20/20! I get the right eye done (yes, I have a cataract in that eye as well) on April 22. Can’t wait! Again, the surgeon says I’ll be 20/20 for both eyes when it’s all said and done. By the way, the surgeon reminds me of Doogie Howser20The show Doogie Howser, M.D. was on TV from 1989 to 1993. It starred Neil Patrick Harris as the precocious and genius teenage doctor as he navigates the medical world. https://armuni.org/4aB2FYX. Why are all these doctors so young?! “They aren’t. You’re old,” snickers the Local Controller. Good one, honey!
I’ve worn glasses since I was 19 years old. Now there will be no more fumbling around in the middle of the night looking for my specs to see what Olive21Olive is a shaggy, light brown something doodle. Mama is a goldendoodle. Papa, not so much. He’s more of a mutt. is barking at. 20/20 here I come! A caveat: I may have to use readers, but hey that’s still better than not being able to see three feet in front of myself. Why do I mention my eyesight? “Ahem. Yes, why do you mention it?” says the little brunette with her arms crossed and toes tapping. Funny you should ask, honey. Two reasons. First, it made using the eclipse glasses much easier, albeit through one eye only since the right one is a fuzzy mess. The other reason is that it reminds me of the vision necessary to keep municipal government ahead of the curve. Here comes the eyeroll and a reluctant “nice save.”
LC and I split our time between two small condos, one in Little Rock and one in Hot Springs. As the day of the eclipse approached, I was impressed by the planning and vision of not only those two municipalities but all of those in the path of totality. From freshly kept parks grounds to porta-potties and everything in between, Arkansas’ cities and towns were ready. You did your homework by studying the previous fumbles in communities that weren’t prepared for the 2017 event. You saw the traffic jams, the dearth of sanitary facilities, and the lack of basic goods and services. You not only saw it, but you fixed it for Arkansas. What a great effort it turned out to be and a success beyond our wildest dreams. Y’all took it upon yourselves to think, plan and work to ensure Arkansas succeeded. Emergency services personnel were on call and ready to go. Streets and bridges cleared for traffic. Garbage receptacles galore adorned your locales. All in all, I’d call it A+ work on your part!
Once again, cities and towns have made Arkansas a great state. At its core, however, is your heart and passion for what you do. You love your municipality and it shows. Folks that visited our fair state from near and far learned one thing for sure. Arkansas’ municipal officials and employees know what they are doing. Y’all are the best of the best. Thanks again for showing the world your clear vision of hosting a successful total solar eclipse event. Spain and Iceland should take note. Both countries would do themselves an enormous favor by visiting those of you that planned so well. That’s a vision I can see with 20/20 clarity and I don’t have both eyes fully in sync yet!
Until next time, peace22As a final note, there are two things I’d like to say. First, I love writing this column because I love the cities and towns of Arkansas. You make a difference every single day. The second thing is that with only one good eye right now, and it’s for far away seeing, I’ve typed this column with my face six inches from the computer screen. This has provided LC with many a laugh! Me too, for that matter!.
- 1I must admit that I may have been a tad judgmental regarding the word epic after perusing Merriam-Webster for the definition and history of the word. Well, that didn’t take long. The Local Controller just noted: “What?! You, judgmental? Say it ain’t so!” I walked right into that. Score 1 for LC. Where was I? Oh yeah, M-W’s information on the word epic. It originated from old English narrative poems of great deeds and heroes. Cue up the tales of Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, Robin Hood, Rob Roy, William Wallace, Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson and many, many others. It seems the modern use of the word is largely synonymous with outstanding, fabulous or impressive. Here’s the humbling part: Outstanding originally meant something that stuck out or projected, fabulous was used in regard to fables, and impressive meant capable of being impressed. https://armuni.org/4cYM8zS
- 2Oklahoma was admitted to the Union on November 16, 1907, thanks in large part to it having been mostly freed of misfits, outlaws and ne’er-do-wells by Judge Isaac Parker and Marshall Bass Reeves. You may fondly remember the musical Oklahoma by Oscar Hammerstein II. Oscar wrote the book and the lyrics. A fella named Richard Rodgers wrote the music. They were known, of course, as Rodgers and Hammerstein. You may not recall fondly the tune “Boomer Sooner” if you’ve ever gone to a University of Oklahoma football game where they scored a great deal!
- 3For you history buffs here’s a couple of links for Oklahoma (https://armuni.org/49zLHcd), Parker (https://armuni.org/3Qqypbx), Reeves (https://armuni.org/3JlFq9i), Rodgers (https://armuni.org/4aB5Cc5), Hammerstein (https://armuni.org/3xyCaop), ne’re-do-wells (https://armuni.org/3Uh8zsu) and “Boomer Sooner” (https://armuni.org/49BQBp6).
- 4California was admitted to the Union in 1850. The state has a rich and very long history. https://armuni.org/3JpWknb
- 5Maryland was admitted to the Union in 1788. https://armuni.org/4cXvWP5
- 6Florida was admitted to the Union in 1845. https://armuni.org/44g6O2t
- 7The United Kingdom’s history is complicated to say the very least. A couple of things are clear and easy to digest. Wales was joined to England in 1536 followed by Scotland in 1707 and Ireland (in part) in 1801. https://armuni.org/4aMpMzO
- 8“No, no, no! Don’t do it Mark!” Make that four footnotes! Here’s some information on Horatio himself. While his fleet was victorious over Napoleon at Trafalgar, Nelson was shot and killed by a French sniper. He was also known as Viscount Nelson and Baron Nelson. https://armuni.org/4cPsdmK
- 9
- 10
- 11Alabama was admitted to the Union in 1819, which was before they had good football teams. https://armuni.org/3xMpwlK New Mexico was admitted to the Union in 1912. I was a sophomore in high school. https://armuni.org/3TXSC9w
- 12Franz was named after my dad, Franz Ulmer Hayes. I sure miss him.
- 13Here’s a great resource on what we just experienced. https://armuni.org/3VYxylC
- 14Canada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1867. Canadians may be the nicest people on the face of the earth. https://armuni.org/49wYIU0
- 15The geese, however, need to learn some manners from their human companions north of the U.S. border. They are territorial and LOUD! https://armuni.org/4cXxetp
- 16
- 1716 Id.
- 18Alaska joined the Union in 1959, the year before I was born! https://armuni.org/49AXeYY
- 19In order, they joined the Union in 1889, 1889 and 1889. Sounds like they had a plan. Montana (https://armuni.org/3xMt0Vm), North Dakota (https://armuni.org/49E3oHR), South Dakota (https://armuni.org/3UfIMRF).
- 20The show Doogie Howser, M.D. was on TV from 1989 to 1993. It starred Neil Patrick Harris as the precocious and genius teenage doctor as he navigates the medical world. https://armuni.org/4aB2FYX
- 21Olive is a shaggy, light brown something doodle. Mama is a goldendoodle. Papa, not so much. He’s more of a mutt.
- 22As a final note, there are two things I’d like to say. First, I love writing this column because I love the cities and towns of Arkansas. You make a difference every single day. The second thing is that with only one good eye right now, and it’s for far away seeing, I’ve typed this column with my face six inches from the computer screen. This has provided LC with many a laugh! Me too, for that matter!
