Hug a Tree

The day was Wednesday 11 August 1999, the time approximately 11:15 BST. The occasion, the last solar eclipse visible from the United Kingdom. Well, the totality track was going to cover the bottom half of Cornwall and we were looking at having a 95% partiality in the East of England. It was good enough for us though, many gathered outside to experience this. With Summer school holidays under way and my shift rota giving me a day off I was free to share this with my family.
We trekked in and out of the garden in the hour leading up to the event noting the dimming sky, not darkening but dimming; slowly but surely night was drawing in. There were various safety devices in use by ourselves and neighbours; masks, goggles, filters, and my favourite the pinhole in a piece of paper projecting onto paper which gave the clearest idea of what was happening.
Cloud cover was slight, and what was moving about wasn't of blocking out size. Then wow, at the given time it was indeed very dim indeed. Not totally dark but a very eery dim, and quiet, a definite hushed moment for all watching.
I peer about in the gloom and see the medium sized tree that lives just outside of our garden. I remember reading somewhere that trees are frightened of eclipses and at that moment can sympathise a little. Nobody is watching me, I slip out of the garden gate, put my arms around the tree and whisper, "It'll be okay, it won't last long..."