I've sold my books in many, many places and all kinds of weather but never before during a eclipse. My home town sat right on the line for the October 14, 2023 eclipse. It was also the day of our town's big arts and crafts fair and it's Gumbo Festival. We were allowed to set up tables and tents the day before, a big help considering it would be hell to find parking the day of. Nothing like having to lug boxes of books and art, and all I need to survive the--a thermos of hot tea, a book to read, a lunch and snacks, water and cold drinks several blocks. So, we arrived at seven a.m. for an event that started at nine. Even then parking was starting fill up, but we got a good spot and started setting up.in a shady space. I cannot do this without my husband's help anymore, and he was chomping at the bit to get me settled in order to put up his eclipse viewing telescope in Blue Dog plaza. I did take more stuff than usual as I didn't have him as a backup to fetch extra books or give me a lunch break. He did leave me with two sets of eclipse glasses as well. I would see the eclipse but not him until four p.m. when we had to pack up.
Maybe it was the special circumstances, but people came out in droves and moved between the fair and the gumbo tents all day. The eclipse, not a total one, began around ten-thirty and ended near two-thirty. Eclipses are very slow moving events. The light dimmed, but it did not get dark. In fact, many people didn't realize an eclipse was happening.. The moon blocked the sun to keep the temperature down. I made short trips to an open area and caught it at a crescent, at half, almost full, and then down to just a single bite out of the side before the sun returned. Trustingly, I lent my eclipse glasses to folks who had none-and one pair walked off never to return. After that I required their immediate return. I don't think anyone of those folks bought a book, but yowza, sales were good. I sold four pieces of mini-art, and two other paintings, rare for me, plus lots of books. In fact, I did have to dash back to the car too get more of two titles, my ever popular Queen of the Mardi Gras Ball and Lady Flora's Rescue, the first title in my Regency series. Gotta reorder both.
Afraid my last set of eclipse glasses would vanish, I asked someone headed to the Gumbo Fest to pick up some more from my husband. She returned to say he'd run out of them, giving away four-hundred. I was sending people to get a view through his sun safe telescope, and he was sending folks to view my art and books. Not all the six hundred people who looked through his telescope visited me but some did. One woman, as I was starting to pack up, picked out the two titles above and wanted to use Vendmo. Sorry, I only take cash and checks which I grant you is very-old-fashioned. Bless her heart, she ran three blocks to an ATM and returned with the money. What a compliment! Never happened before. I am usually told they will go to the ATM and never see the customer again.
After the eclipse passed, the temps went up to ninety, sales fell off, and people went home to their air-conditioned homes. As my exhausted husband took down the tent, he said he'd shown six-hundred viewers the eclipse. I told him I'd had my second best day at this event ever, and I'd been doing it for years. There seemed to something magical about the eclipse. I wish I could arrange one every year on this date. Well, there will be one next April. We are going to view it in Texas. And no, I will not be lugging my books along--or maybe I should.
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