Just in time to mark the 39th anniversary Saturday, May 18, of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the Chronicle received a big manila envelope from a Washington man. Inside was a poem Guillermo Castaneda wrote about that sunny Sunday morning in 1980, about experiencing the “total eclipse” of ash-induced darkness that sent him and his family scurrying inside in fear.

Hood River photographer Peter Marbach has created a limited edition, collectible 2018 Oregon calendar featuring the 2017 total eclipse.

During our epic journey sailing across the Pacific Ocean with our family of four, we had the opportunity to witness a total solar eclipse, just south of Tahiti. It required a challenging overnight sail and a little bit of effort to view 100 percent totality.