I watched this through my telescope from my front yard. A week or two later the ash came our way. I remember waking up at 11:30 and it was pitch black outside. Then I realized it was 11:30 AM...I went to the front door and just as I looked outside, a transformer across the street blew and the power went out. They cancelled school for the remainder of the year because they were using the lots for ash storage..I was 11 at the time.