April 8 2024. About three dozen people showed up at Washington Avenue Pier to enjoy an open view of the sky to watcha partial solar eclipse — the first since 2017. This time it was more dramatic, with 90.1 percent totality. Or it should have been. At 2:08 in the afternoon, viewers could see the moon taking a small bite out of the sun, moving toward the center. As the sun became darker, the clouds rolled in. There were low clouds, with small breaks giving viewers a quick glimpse of the sun and then covering the sky again. At exactly 3:23:42 PM, it got noticeably colder and a little windy. The clouds rolled away, but not completely. The sun reappeared in small glimpses. People started leaving the pier. At 4 PM, the sun looked like the smile of the Cheshire Cat. And then everything became brighter. The moon had moved. It got warmer. Most of the people used eclipse glasses. One adventurous person brought a welder's helmet.
There were about a dozen young children at the the fishing pier, not really looking at the sky but having a wonderful time playing tag. Although the viewing was disappointing, there was a holiday mood among people who simply enjoyed being there in the open space on the Delaware River on a weekday afternoon in April. |
The hummingbirds are coming...the hummingbirds are coming! Washington Avenue Pier is located on the Mid-Atlantic Flyway. Migrating birds start arriving from the south in early April.
And many thanks to Loren Thomas who, on March 30, volunteered himself and five other people to clean up the Park from Washington Avenue to Reed Street. They collected 31 bags of trash.
Also gone are the illegal encampments just north of Reed Street from the abandoned piers on the river. The trail is now cleaner and safer than it has been in months...just in time for runners and bicyclists and hikers in the warming weather.
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The Pier 53 Project— is a historical study of the immigrants who arrived at the Pier from 1876 to the 1920's—their stories as well as the stories told by their descendants. Each account is part of a mosaic that contributes to the history of Philadelphia and its waterfront, and ultimately to the history of immigration in the United States. Here's the link to the Pier 53 Project page on this site. Pier 53 Project Photos by Susan McAninley and Loren Thomas. |
