A twice in a lifetime anniversary

Abbey Nutter, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 10—Despite the overcast skies during Monday's solar eclipse in Lebanon, two guests at Cedars of Lebanon State Park still saw this year's eclipse as special.

"We knew it would be hit and miss here today," Rodd Keech said. "It's kind of our anniversary. It's what brought us together, so we decided that we would come (to watch) together no matter what."

Sherry and Rodd Keech met just before the solar eclipse in 2017, when Sherry visited a camera store in Nashville.

"I was trying to decide what filter to buy (for the camera)," Sherry Keech said. "He spoke up and told me what to buy."

When the total eclipse happened in Lebanon seven years ago, Sherry watched it at Cedars of Lebanon by herself. That year, Rodd Keech was working during the eclipse, but Sherry called him.

"Not too soon after that, we fell in love and got married," Rodd Keech said.

Now, the pair celebrated their first eclipse as a married couple in matching t-shirts sporting the phrase "Twice in a Lifetime," and their dog, McKenna, who was sporting a t-shirt right alongside them, as well as her own pair of eclipse glasses.

"It's kind of funny because during the first eclipse, I came down by myself," Sherry Keech said. "I was roaming the woods all by myself, and now I'm here with the two loves of my life and the dog."

Cedars of Lebanon Park Ranger Shauna Bridgers helped run activities at the state park during its eclipse viewing party.

"It's a unique event that happens very rarely in your life," Bridgers said. "To have one so close to us, but not quite there in totality, you still want to be able to showcase it."

More than 100 individuals registered to watch the 94% totality occur. As the time for the eclipse drew closer, people gathered on the grass near a gazebo and settled in, despite the clouds.

The amount of people who registered for the event was more than what Bridgers had initially expected, so she provided pinhole projectors made of cardboard for those who wanted to view the eclipse but didn't have glasses.

Looking up at the cloudy sky didn't offer a clear view of the eclipse at its max at 2:06 p.m. In the hour leading up to that point, viewers cried out in excitement as they caught glimpses of the natural phenomenon during moments of thinner cloud coverage.