A Pleasant Start to August

Even though we are still deep in the summer season reprieves from the oppression of heat and humidity continue to come our way; humid, dry, humid, dry - seems like a good schedule to me. The cool overnights and dry heat of the last couple of days of July and the first two of August will, however, not last. Tomorrow will see the moisture level in the atmosphere rise as well as the temperature. It will feel like August for the next several day and then a stalled front will drop temperatures but keep humidity high and increase the chances of a storm. Longer range, another breath of Canadian air may drop temps and humidity levels for the second weekend of August to points even nicer than the first. Without a doubt, there will be plenty more summer.
While the sunset, right on the horizon was lovely (see below) the planets of spring and summer are for the most part gone. I was able to find Venus in binoculars this evening but not Jupiter nor Mercury that is rumored to be in the area. The show is over, but will return to morning skies in late August and into September. Saturn still sits high overhead, mostly alone, just after sunset.
Tomorrow begins a new chapter in the August 23, 2011 Mineral earthquake story; the brand new Louisa County High School welcomes back the full staff to begin prep for school opening 12 August. 3 weeks short of 4 years since that wild day when our world got very shaky. More details on tomorrow's TOE. Hope you are getting out and enjoying summer, today on Earth.

Louisa sunset (top) the York River below West Point, Va. (lower)