These eclipse chasers made Maine lodging reservations 7 years ago

GREENVILLE, Maine — Cece and Eric English watched the moon blot out the sun, in an ancient celestial dance, above Wyoming’s Grand Teton Mountains during a total solar eclipse in August 2017.

It was an awesome experience.

“When it got dark, you could see the stars, then the coyotes began to howl,” Cece English said.

The mother-and-son duo were so moved by their shared experience, they knew there was no way they could miss the next total solar eclipse, scheduled to pass over Maine on Monday. That’s why they made their lodging reservations at Rockwood’s Gray Ghost Camps early — seven years in advance.

“We knew right away that we wanted to come up here,” said Eric English, as he perused souvenirs with his mother at Eclipse HQ in Greenville on Saturday.

That’s because his family has long-standing ties to Moosehead Lake.

Cece English, a 1962 graduate of Westbrook High School, first visited the historic Gray Ghost Camps more than 60 years ago, fishing with her parents. Later, when her son Eric English was a boy, she brought him there to fish, as well.

As if to prove the claim, Cece English then reached into her purse, producing a faded color photo of her son. In the picture, an obviously proud 10- or 11-year-old Eric English holds up several trout on a string. His other hand clutches a fishing rod while his Velcroed sneakers, socks and pants are wet to the knees.

Thus, Moosehead Lake was the only location they even considered. They both flew to Portland — Eric English from his home in Colorado, Cece English from hers in south Florida. Then, the pair rented a car and headed for Gray Ghost Camps a few days ago.

After letting the store clerks coo over the picture, making her son blush, Cece English then showed off a ring on her right hand. The gold, zigzagging band is set with a single, dark stone representing the fiery black hole she saw in the sky over the Wyoming mountains nearly a decade ago.

“It was an astonishing experience I treasure,” she said.

Cece and Eric English said they weren’t sure exactly where they’d watch this year’s eclipse when it totally blots out the sun for about three minutes at 3:30 p.m. over Moosehead Lake on Monday. But they hope to find a quiet spot where they can enjoy it together, without too much fanfare.

Though a cosmic event of heavenly proportions, for Cece and Eric English, it’s also family time.

“It’s hard to describe,” Cece English said, trying to explain their previous eclipse experience — and perhaps life itself. “When it starts, you can’t believe it. Then, whoosh, it’s over.”