Craig,
Many thanks for the instructions. It works now. With luck me and Bjorn might get some good shots of the event.
John

Progress report from ground zero. T minus 2 days until the event...
 
Traffic definitely picking up. Scourge of old farts in travel trailers hogging up the asphalt, weaving out of their lanes and slowing to 10 mph to take pictures. (Wife just told me to not call them "old farts" because I am one of them)
 
I was taking the infrastructure collapse warnings too lightly. I just discovered how serious the problem is even now.
 
The shelf in Walmart for the 30 pack cans of Hamm's beer is empty.
 
The apocalypse is upon us.
 
John

With the crowds pouring in and all the cheap beer gone, I had to refine my tastes for the next couple days and go with the vintage, hi end connoisseur import stuff. Found a hidden 24 pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon that had not been scarfed up. Kinda makes me feel like aristocrat nobility.
 
On another issue of temporary sobriety, anyone venturing out here for the event, please be careful. The casualties are already piling up. Started this morning with all the sirens. First, an 80 yo woman took a dive 20 feet off the cliff. Later the coast guard helicopter taking off to rescue someone down in the water. Then another aircraft mission to the south to pull someone else out of the sea. There goes the helicopter again at this moment. Crap, senseless loss of life.
 
You only survive a few minutes if you unintentionally go swimming out here. Way too cold.
Logs on the beach. They kill.
Never turn your back on the ocean.
Don't pick up the jelly fish no matter how cute and colorful they look or go barefoot in the tide pools.
There goes another helicopter...
 
Otherwise, welcome to the coast and have maximum fun... At this rate, you might have to bring your own beer.

I lived in the Eureka CA area for a few years.  I know of what you speak (type).

My roommate has already taken off with his girlfriend to Silverton Oregon (a bit east of Salem).  They have reserved some spot there and are expecting to be back on Tuesday sometime...  Another friend is headed more toward Madras.
 
I'm going to sit at home and enjoy the solitude. 

I'm already in the dark most of the time so why would I purposely travel long distances to be where I already am?!
 
Once it happens, I'm sure there'll be "nothing to see" anyway.

I'm enjoying the nightly geo-eclipse right now. 

Report from ground zero. T minus one day.
 
Things are a bit more crowded that usual, but not the total chaos we are supposed to be experiencing right now. Some of the attenuation is likely due to a less than optimistic weather report for the coast.
There are shortages to report however. Food shelves scarce, gasoline in short supply and price per gallon up 30 cents overnight.
 
These shortages have been caused by us local idiots stocking up our bomb shelters for the total eclipse annihilation that will probably not happen.
 
John
 

Update this evening before the event.
 
The place is starting to fill up now closer to what was predicted. They did import enough portable toilets to contain the bowels of half the western hemisphere.
 
This is all being freelanced through, so what wasn't anticipated was the number of dogs. Almost looks like they outnumber humans. From the constant sounds of less than cordial encounters and what happened to the bottom of my shoes, we didn't get this one right. We'll probably have to get the snow plows out after the event.
 
All for 2 minutes of blackness. Starting to not be able to figure this one out.
 
 

Overcast skies here in Portland. Hope that clears up by tomorrow.
I've been practicing taking pictures of the sun from the backyard and
the photos and videos are looking pretty good. Getting some sunspots too.