Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Adventures

We Were Enroute to the Canadian GDMBR - 21 August 2017
Bondurant (near Jackson), Montana

The Welding Helmet Lens is Unknowingly Covered by a Plastic Shipping Sheet - 0940 Hours

Above: I could not find a sun-protection lens for our camera and I starting looking last December, 2016. I finally remembered and realized that I could snap pictures through the lens of an old Welding Helmet. I had never used that helmet and the Helmet still had a Plastic Protection Cover over the View Port.

We were invited to watch the Solar Eclipse by my Nephew James (Jimmy) Harms and his wife to be Whitney Schwindt. They live with two other house-mates, friends that they knew from college back in Nebraska, William Richardson and Christopher Ridder (terrific guys). We camped in their backyard as the rented house was full. We had a great time with Jimmy and Whitney, they and their friends were wonderful hosts.

We were using a Nikon D-610 with a Nikon 28-300 mm Telephoto Lens for the main shoot and a Samsung III Smart Phone Camera for the Pin Hole Images.

The Welding Helmet Plastic Shipping Cover was Removed - 0950 Hours
Thank You Whitney!

1030 Hours

It's Time! - 1030 Hours

Above: There was not enough light for the automatic filter on the helmet to operate. In a nano-second I realized that I could take direct un-filtered images of the eclipse! The moment was very exciting for everyone. The temperature was dropping. It was still twilight outside, maybe a couple of stars were visible.

Above: Note that a star has slowly become visible at the 7 O'clock position.

Below: The Following Images are Cropped, NOT Photo-Shopped.

Above: Low light condition needed a steadier hand but it demonstrates the Twilight of the moment.

1044 Hours

Using the Welder's Mask - The Sun became Blinding Bright Again

1057 Hours

1113 Hours

1129 Hours

1150 Hours

Above: The Last Image was taken at 1205 Hrs.

Pin Hole to Paper Projection Images

Above Left: The Gang - Terry Struck took the picture, from left to right, Jimmy Harms, William Richardson, Whitney Schwindt, and moi (Dennis Struck). Christopher Ridder got to see the Eclipse from his work location in town.

Above Right: The wind started blowing debris onto the paper.

Two Cakes that Terry Made for the Kids at our Local Salvation Army