BEND, OR -- As we gear up for the August 21 eclipse, the last total solar eclipse to pass over the Pacific Northwest is a distant memory for most people. Not for April Fisk. The Oregon native was living in Southeast Washington in 1979, right on the edge of the path of totality for that event. She decided to watch the eclipse from home, only to be thwarted by an overcast sky. "I was really shocked. You know when an airplane comes between you and the sun, there's a shadow, but it's going  really fast, and just goes right over your head? well, that's exactly what the eclipse was like for us. so, if you're not actually in the direct shadow, what you're going to see is something very quick, just ten seconds or less, going across the sky."

Fisk tells KBND News, "I've been waiting 38 years to do this again. And, this time, we're going to travel about 60 miles north and stand out in the middle of a field, and see if we can actually get in the direct shadow for like a minute and a half; that would be fun. We got our glasses! We bought our glasses yesterday, so I'm excited." She's trying to keep a positive attitude despite concerns over the weather, this time around. "A bunch of relatives are getting together, and we're just going to make it a party time. I figure, even if we don't have a success as far as the sun goes - I've already experienced an eclipse with very heavy overcast, so now it's going to turn out right; or, even if it doesn't, we can still have an excuse to have a potluck dinner."

Now in her sixties, she believes that, unless she starts chasing eclipses, this is her last chance to see one. The next total eclipse over the U.S. will be in 2045. 

Eclipse Coverage on KBND is supported in part by Awnings Unlimited. Shade yourself from the sun with Awnings Unlimited at 5541-389-1619 and awningsunlimited.net.