Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski

Although I have seen many partial eclipses – never before have I observed a total one. Although hundreds of kilometers away – the call was too strong to ignore. Got up early in the morning, put my gear in the truck, and off we went. After leaving Nova Scotia and driving through New Brunswick a flood of memories filled my heart. Last time on that highway, going the opposite direction, was John and I coming to Nova Scotia from our home in Vancouver. From the Pacific to the Atlantic, across our vast and absolutely beautiful country. Ultimately, it wasn’t the right move, but who would have known? As I drove through the forested hills I whispered to him – we are going back West, Babycake. I’m taking you back home … A dream, I know. But dreams are nice, especially on a long drive. After a few hours, already in New Brunswick, I entered the wilderness of a huge swampy Grand Lake and tributaries of the majestic St. John River. Right in there is a military district of Gagetown. I remembered that my father-in-law, Doug stayed there with his army unit. Because my husband, John, was born in Fredericton, then I think he might have been conceived in Gagetown. Very soon after his birth they moved West, to Calgary and Calgary was the city of his childhood and youth. He never had any recollection of either New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. Calgary was also the city where we met and fell madly in love. How strangely everything seems to be connected or have a reason. Just as the eclipse today. My first and most likely last total eclipse of the Sun – in the city he was born.

The weather was perfect on the shores of the big river. I located myself in a long, grassy field on the shore overlooking the old Downtown of Fredericton, between two main bridges. Right across from the massive building of the hospital John was born. There were already big crowds of people with cameras and folding chairs. The problem was trying to find a street where I could find a free spot to park my car. Eventually – I did. Someone gave me even a pair of special dark glasses for free. Enough of the story, though. The rest is recorded through the camera lens.

It had a very strange effect on my psycho. As the event progressed, the air cooled off considerably, and strange dusk set in, different in hue than regular evenings – I felt different, too. Suddenly the cameras and pictures stopped interesting me. I just wanted to be in it fully. It is hard to describe, it was almost subconscious. A realization that you are a part of the Cosmos. This huge, unending space that surrounds us. A tiny speck of grain.