Sisters folks make their eclipse plans

For some folks it's the event of a lifetime - for others it's a day to hunker down and avoid the crowds. A Sisters folks have a variety of plans for the morning of August 21, when Sisters will get about 30 seconds of totality in the solar eclipse.

Audacitie Anderson told The Nugget that "with a daughter and family living and working in the Sisters area, we wouldn't dream of not being there for this special occasion and sharing it with them. We are taking planes, trains and automobiles to get there! Heading out from Wisconsin on Monday, husband's birthday. I think we are camping out with daughter's friends for the eclipse out in the yard. Can't wait!"

Jeff Spry, who has seen a total eclipse in Hawaii, said, "I was gonna go to this cool spot an hour out of town but now I think I'm content sitting in my front yard with the dogs and having a waffle or two and enjoy 30 seconds in the moon's shadow!"

City of Sisters employees are planning to view the eclipse from the roof of City Hall, and a lot of working folks in Sisters plan to simply step outside at around 10 a.m. to enjoy the spectacle. (Use eclipse glasses to view any moment outside the totality.)

Some say they are planning to "hibernate" on their own property for several days - and could do without the expected inundation of eclipse-chasers.

Bonnie Malone notes that "friends (are) coming to my house to watch the eclipse from the same rock pile in my back field where they watched the 1979 eclipse. Otherwise, going nowhere I can't get to on my bike or horse."

Sue Edgerton recalled the 1979 total eclipse.

"We saw a total eclipse in May of 1979 in LaGrande. Took our four kids out of school and drove out to the middle of Grande Ronde Valley. It was impressive, and no hoopla like this year. My friend's chickens and peacocks came out the regular time to announce morning loudly, then went back inside the barn when it got dark, then came out again and announced morning all over."

Cami Kornowski plans to view the ecipse with other astronomy enthusiasts.

"Driving home to Central Oregon from Portland, to spend the night before and morning of the eclipse with some of the other Sisters Astronomy Club members out at Rimrock Ranch! Get to bring the telescopes out, see the Perseids, and the eclipse! Perfect!"

And, of course, there are always the entrepreneurs. Gene Blick whimsically announced that he's planning on cashing in on another natural phenomenon:

"Towing a portable restroom out next to the highway: $20. How bad you need to go?"