On American Side, Celestial Spectacle Drew Both Cheers and Looks of Horror
A Brief Report from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large
Posted April 8th, 2024
As crowds at the Falls wait for eclipse to reach totality shortly after 3 p.m. this April 8th, there sure are alot of clouds up there.
Niagara Falls, Ontario – Within just a few hours of the solar eclipse coming and going over the skies of Niagara, I began hearing complaints from people on the Ontario side of the Falls that they could not see the great spectacle as well as they hoped to because of cloud cover.
Many said they had been waiting for months, and in some cases years to feast their eyes of this rare celestial show, and some had spent a good deal of time and money for hotel rooms after travelling here from homes as far off as North Bay, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts just for the occasion.
And now this! After a full day of clear skies, clouds get in the way.
But on the American side, where I chose to go after hearing that viewing sites like Terrapin Point, nestled between the Horseshoe and American Falls, would be less crowded than sites on the Canadian side, it was an entirely different story.
As the magic moments for eclipse totality came shortly after 3 p.m. and the skies grew dark and the air around us turned cold as birds chirped wildly and scattered, there it was!
And the reaction from Americans around me was as divided as you would expect it would be these days. Some cheered and some turned away in horror.
“My God,” cried one onlooker. “IT’S HIM!! Is this an omen? Is it a harbinger of things to come?” he screamed on as others nearby began sharing their dread about the upcoming presidential election.
Oh, but wait a minute. As I sit here writing this, someone sitting at a desk next to me just said it’s itoo late to post any more April Fools jokes, and that this one is about as funny as starring at the eclipse without a pair of protective glasses.
That’s probably true so I will end this the traditional way journalists do, with a – 30- .
Just One Brief After-thought – With Trump now peddling those oh so tacky-looking sneakers and his own version of The Bible to help cover the cost legal bills, I’m surprised he didn’t come out with a whole line of dinner plates, painted up to look like a solar eclipse his mug shot in the middle.
Hey, maybe that would have worked with basketballs, beach balls and Frisbees too.
For a guy who brags about being one of the world’s greatest marketers and self-promoters, seems to me he missed a great opportunity here.
Just one more thing here, and I promise. Check out the front page of this April 9th’s tabloid newspaper, The New York Post – 
NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.
“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders
Niagara At Large 