Tina, a pretty, 24-year-old woman finishing her Master's degree in Archeology, and her mother, Evelin, were out shopping and stopped for lunch, salad and lemon water, and were talking about what Tina will do when she finishes her studies in about one more month.

"Sweetie, you know I don't want you to leave me. You're all I have left in this world," Evelin said, quite sadly, with big brown eyes looking forlornly at her daughter.

Emily continued without hardly breathing until Mason finally jumped in and interrupted her, "Hey, hey, hey! Emmy, sweetie, slow down. I know you're excited about the prospects of working in Australia, but jeez, try to breathe once in a while."

"Oh, Mason, I don't talk that much," protested Emily, "do I?"

"Yes, you do, sweetie," continued Mason. "When you talk to your mother on the phone you go on and on for an hour or more and I never hear you give her a chance to say anything. And, when you talk to Mia, my god! Girl, what she must think of you!"

"Oh, come on, now, I'm not that bad," said Emily with a little uncertainty in her voice.

Hi, my name is Justin. I'm 22 years old, fit but not big and muscular. The girls seem to like me the way I am, so why bother with building up gym muscles? And, I'm restless - I'm not in college, no job, nothing to do. And, I don't want to get a job, not right now, and college? That, also, can wait a while longer.

So, I've decided to leave town. I'm gonna hop on a bus and go wherever it goes. And then I'm gonna do it again. And then again. I'm gonna go on an adventure wherever the road and the buses take me.

The sun was soon to be gone, soon to be hiding behind the moon. It was expected and talked about for days beforehand, so nothing to get excited about, right? One would expect so, but...

In the old ranch-style blue and white house on Apple Street Jim and Nancy, their son Jacob, and daughter Suzy, were prepared with the proper eyewear to watch the eclipse.

***

Over on Walnut Street in the new boxy two-story Pete and Jon were prepared for a bit more. They had candles, flashlights, extra water, and canned goods.

***

The farm wasn't big but it had plenty to keep the family busy—a chicken coup with about 50 chickens (for eggs) and a few others for meat. The apple trees, pear trees, corn, vegetables, and berries were more than sufficient for Rebecca and her family of 5, not including 2 dogs and 3 cats. The little valley they lived on was steep, more of a canyon than a valley, and not big enough to call a valley or a canyon but rather they referred to it as a big arroyo, which it was. But it sure was beautiful, so many shades of green interrupted by only one dirt road entering and exiting the steep slopes.