Why am I surprised that weather ruined the eclipse in Chicago?! Having sacrificed a shoe box to make a pinhole projector, I’m bummed. Those of us gazing from the Village of La Grange, Ill., parking structure couldn’t tell if it was dark because of clouds or because 87% of the sun was obscured.

The eclipse seen through welder's glass in Lyons, Colo. (zoom in on his tummy).
Bill Palmer The eclipse seen through welder's glass in Lyons, Colo. (zoom in on his tummy).

My boss lives in Colorado and had a much better experience, as this photo shows. I didn’t even get a photo; if you did, send it to [email protected]. Also, if you work for a public agency that suspended construction or other activities for the day, how did things turn out? Were there more or fewer problems than anticipated? What would you have done differently? We'll use your insights to prepare readers for the 2024 eclipse!