All right everybody, it’s coming like a freight train, so you’d better be ready. It’s not harvest or football season, although they are coming too. Nope, it’s something that hasn’t been seen in nearly a century: The Great American Eclipse.
Now just in case you’ve been spending way too much time in a tractor with no radio, I will explain why this is such a big deal.
Big Deal No. 1: First of all, a total eclipse is a line-up of the Sun, Moon and Earth. Everybody knows that it’s hard enough to get three people to line up and agree on anything, so lining up the Sun, the Moon and the Earth is truly something out-of-this-world.

Big Deal No. 2: Although everyone in the continental U.S. will see at least a partial eclipse, in our area, this will be a total eclipse. According to one website, comparing a total eclipse to a partial is like “comparing almost dying to dying.” Someone in the path of a 48% partial eclipse wouldn’t even notice it getting dark. So totality is a big deal, and it’s right here, in our back yard.
Big Deal No. 3: Watch the roads and drive defensively if you have to drive at all. Millions – yes, that’s even more people than at a Husker game – are coming to see this thing. There are scientists from all over the world, including NASA. There are astronomers, both professional and amateur; there are serious people and looky-loos. In short, there are going to be a lot of different people in our back yard. But since they are people, they may not all be smart or well behaved. Many of them have never seen this part of the country before, and they may gawk around looking at things. They may stop suddenly if they see a raccoon or a pheasant. They might even get lost and end up in your actual back yard. So be careful. Be nice, but be careful.
Big Deal No. 4: See above…lots of people are coming. So it might be a good idea to gather your equipment home and lock it up. When you have 60,000 people parked near your hay field, a few might decide to investigate your baler. They might think it would be fun to start up an “abandoned” loader. They might even decide to play farmer and take a tractor for a spin. Take precautions.
Big Deal No. 5: Take this seriously. I have talked to people who actually said, “I’m just not going to take part. I don’t want people on my front lawn.” Doctors might call this “classic denial,” but the right word for it is “dumb.”
You can’t opt out of something like this. It’s going to happen. You can stick your head in the sand like an ostrich or you can be prepared. I recommend being prepared, then if we’re all wrong and it doesn’t turn out to be that big a deal, you’re not out much. But if we’re right, you were ready.
So get ready everybody, because it’s coming like a freight train and it’s a big deal. But it’s a very cool big deal. So in the middle of preparing for the Great American Eclipse, remember to enjoy it.