2017 Trip #9, 21 Aug 2017

2017 Trip #9

21 Aug 2017, during the ECLIPSE, Ed Hall and myself.

The still shots above show the ECLIPSE from 1/2 way to TOTALITY too 1/2 way after TOTALITY.  Me kneeling down was the first shot.  I had just went LIVE on FaceBook.  I videoed the complete ECLIPSE live.  You can see that video on my FaceBook page TIMELINE.  Ask for a “Friend Request” and then you’ll be able to get into my TIMELINE to see the complete 28 minuets.   Also my FaceBook and Instagram are: varmintermintor.will  Notice it is DOT will, and the “a” is missing out of terminator, I ran out of charter space.

The ECLIPSE Aug 21, 2017

2017 Trip #9, during the ECLIPSE

 

First of all this trip was going to be a one day, up and back.  Also leaving early in the morning (4:00 AM) we hoped to beat the traffic.  Didn’t work.  Thousands of vehicles hit the road at about the same time.  My plan was to get to the ranch around 8:30 to set-up.  The eclipse started around 10:30 and we got there finally about 10:00.  So I didn’t have much time to get set-up.  When I did get set-up the eclipse had started.  I’ve never experienced an eclipse.  It was very different.  I’ll never see another one in my life time.

 

At one point in the video I was shooting prairie dogs, and then they were gone, none.  We had also spotted what we thought was an hawk on the ground looking around, it was a Golden Eagle.  It stayed on the ground for about five minuets after TOTALITY (darkest part of the ECLIPSE) ended, it didn’t want to fly in the dark.  About ten minuets after TOTALITY the prairie dogs came out.

 

I was really lucky to get on the ranch I was on because I was only about a mile from dead center of the ECLIPSE path.  I didn’t have the equipment to video the Moon moving across the Sun so I decided to video the effect of the ECLIPSE changing of the brightness, temperature, and effect on the Planet around us.

 

We stayed on the field for four hours after TOTALITY of the ECLIPSE ended.  As a result hoping the traffic would be down enough to be able to travel back to Denver, that didn’t happen.  Being only six miles from I-25 we was hopping we could get on it and head South.  The closest we got to the interstate was about two miles.  Traffic was at a stand still, we did a u-turn and headed East.  That worked for awhile then the traffic started backing up.  We got gas, something to eat, and called a friend to stay at his house overnight.  The next day wasn’t too much better, a three hour trip was six hours.

 

2017 Trip #9, during the ECLIPSE, rifle used.

I shot only my 223 Rem AR.  I wanted to find out how the stock and butt-plate (V-TAB) Vertical-Tactical Adjustable Buttstock) was going to work in the field.  Both fixed the last of the problems I had with this AR.  The stock is long enough for my long arms.  The V-TAB lets me keep the butt-stock in my shoulder pocket.  Even with the heavy rest I use on the bench.

 

Of the 256 prairie dogs we shot I got 131 of them.  It wasn’t a bad trip for four hours of shooting.  I did accomplish a few things:

 

2017 Trip #9, during the ECLIPSE, accomplishments

1.   I got to see some of the worst traffic I’ve ever seen. The news said 550,000 vehicles traveled in and out of Wyoming in THREE days.

2.   I’m 73 years old and I got to see my first  complete ECLIPSE.

3.   I videoed the whole ECLIPSE live on FaceBook.

4.   And most of all I had a good friend with me and we enjoyed it immensely.    

 

The (V-TAB) Vertical-Tactical Adjustable Buttstock) came from Fast Acquisition at: fastacquisition.com

The stock and buffer tube for my AR came from: Rocky Mountain Guns at: rmg15.com