I was old enough to understand the hoo-ha, the 'once every 76 YEARS', the importance of it all.
We took it seriously too. My parents loaded us up in a big old truck, with biscuits and juice, some family friends and 20 under-privileged children from the nearby 'coloured' 'location' - drove us far away from any distracting lights, high up a nearby mountain.
It was cold, and bumpy, the littlies all yawning, the bigger boys hanging off the back - whooping in excitement, out on a mountain top in the dark!
We piled out shivering and giggling, took a while to quieten down and listen, to follow my Dad's finger pointing up into the sky, to make out the tail and the distinctive smudge: Halley's Comet.
I was old enough to remember that forever.
Frieda's old enough to understand the hoo-ha now. She marked the auspicious day on our calendar weeks ago, and there's been lots of questions, You Tube clips and myth-busting 'round here.
I was tired last night, and loathe to set an alarm for 4am. So instead, I had a late cup of tea and didn't let the dogs out, relying on their bladders and mine to get a glimpse of the moon.
And yup, at 04:37 I woke to doggie claws clicking apologetically towards my room, and a blood-red, half-smudged moon peeping in the window.
I woke Frieda, she's old enough now to be compos mentis in the middle of the night, and she jumped straight out of bed to have a look. A brief look, a sleepy smile and mumbled thanks, I think she was asleep again before I'd left her room.
I, of course, took much longer. My girl will be just a bit older than I am now next time a 'Moon Super Eclipse' happens. What will her life be like, where will she be, who will she watch it with ... ?
This morning at 6 I got another glimpse, this time back to yellowy white, the eclipse waning fast as she dropped behind the mountain.
That would've been a great photo.
I'll store it away with the Comet, in that folder labelled 'Significant Things of an Ethereal Nature'.
I think Frieda's got that folder open now too.
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