Another Nice Weekend

Virginia is on a bit of a lovely weekend roll these days, storms late in the week and then cooler drier air comes in for the weekend. And, then temps and humidities go up for the start of the work week. The long range look into this week has the cool, dry stretch starting mid-week and continuing into next weekend; August has been pretty pleasant so far.  The large system that brought the all rain Thursday and Friday, slid off the east coast yesterday, almost looked like it was going to really get together into a tropical-like system but has moved farther out into the Atlantic where we don't really have to care.  A little rain was nice; some places, mostly south and east of the tirehouse, received way more than a little. A chance of rain returns for the next two days before the next nice stretch begins.
Since the last posting of the TOE dozens of quakes have shaken up the planet but not one hit 6.0 in magnitude, a bit surprising but what is normal on Earth. Volcanoes are normal on Earth and while the list is shorter this week (only 5 on the active list in Indonesia) there is plenty of ash and lava flying around on the big planet. While in the news for parts of the missing Malaysian airliner showing up on beaches, Piton de la Fournaise is on the active volcano list and Reunion island is growing as lava oozes and ash rains down. Colima is still belching in Mexico, Sinabung continues to affect much of Indonesia, Manam is fired up off the coast of PNG and Cleveland is on the "don't fly close to me" list up in Alaska. It's a wild planet!
Our view of space has gotten less interesting in August, Jupiter does linger in the haze of the sunset but Venus, at aphelion and therefore about as close to Earth as it gets, is not visible anymore and will pass between the Earth and Sun on the 15th. By month's end it will have popped up into the morning sky as the bright beacon before sunrise. The waning crescent moon is out there in the morning sky right now but as it continues to shrink will will be harder and harder to spot; it will be closed to lined up with Venus, passing between Earth and Sun just one day ahead of our neighboring planet. Saturn does still shine high in the south as sunset, tilted nicely for telescope viewing.
The official dedication of the new Louisa County High School is today, and it's shaping up as a  pleasant, cloudy, cool and not too humid day, get out and enjoy it, Today on Earth.
Here is the shot of the giant cumulonimbus cloud I couldn't get posted a few days ago, 50+ miles away!