Hot & Rainy July and a New Dog!!

The sporadic "daily" blog returns to wind down July after a few days of intense heat and humidity and another gully washer storm last night. But, Breyer, a big Chocolate Lab, doesn't seem to mind the moisture, in fact, he is loving his new creek.  Like so many things that happen on the big planet, change and surprise often factor in and that was the case last Saturday.  A 60th birthday party had a handsome chocolate lab wandering about with some other dogs and it took a while but we finally realized that the dog was a neighborhood stray in need of a new home; whoa!! The new dog I was not actively seeking but more than open to had suddenly appeared. We discussed it and decide he would love coming to the tirehouse and Tuesday went back and he was waiting, climbed right in the car and it's like he's been here for years.  A day in the forest with a big brown dog is always a good day.
While muggy (6 2/3" of rain - for July - will add some moisture to the air), today is a little cooler than recent days and storm chances are down as the front hanging over the region has moved a little farther south.  Don't get too excited, we are still in the warmest part of the summer with more than half of that season to go, but a little relief is a welcome change. Last night's deluge dumped 1.8" inches here and we were not the hardest hit area.  The entire state is waaaay above average for rainfall for the year and rain tends to follow rain (not the plow); that's how the water cycle works. Moisture in the ground evaporates or is transpired by trees, clouds re-form and that water plops down again, rinse and repeat the weather guys say.  With more and more regions becoming more and more arid and aquifer levels dropping steadily worldwide, enjoy the moisture if you have it, millions are seriously lacking.
In other news, slightly above the surface, an errant Chinese rocket careening back to Earth made for a scary fireball for many in the western US two nights ago. Chunks of the rocket will no doubt be found soon as it is very unlikely the entire thing burned up on reentry; way to be responsible China!!  In less scary space news, the waning crescent moon occulted (covered) the red giant eye of Taurus, Aldebaran early this morning for the southern US - too early and cloudy for me.  The slimming crescent will be above Orion tomorrow morning for early risers.
Mars, Saturn are still dancing around in Scorpio and Libra in the south early in evening darkness as Jupiter slips lower in the southwest at the same time.  I haven't checked an earthquake or volcano list of late but guess there is plenty of shaking and earth exhaust happening on the plate boundaries of this old but still active planet.  So it's a little warm and muggy out there, get out on your planet and check it out, Today On Earth. I'll be taking this big brown dog; meet Breyer!!

Moon Dancing Through Scorpio

It's hot, it's humid, in reality it's pretty gross out there on these July days and even though we are a little farther from the sun than in mid-winter those long hours of direct sunlight will do that to July.  Take a chance and get out in the mugginess just after dark tonight and behold the gorgeous slide of our satellite through the scorpion in the sky and by the ringed world of Saturn and our bright, rusty neighbor, Mars. Mar's rival, Antares, the red giant heart of Scorpio completes the scene (well, Scorpio itself is spectacular in its own right), the dazzling display taking place in the south tonight (it was out there last night, too but it's hard to rewind all that).
In other Earth news…I'm out of the quake, volcano loop so I know there is shaking and erupting going on but fortunately not in the Central Va. zone. The real issues are the continuing insanity of religious whack jobs killing in the name of their god and the racial tensions roiling through this country.  Could we keep our believes to ourselves and try being nice to each other? There are over 7 billion humans on this relatively small planet, resources are strained and there is nothing but change on the way; we best figure out some ways to better get along or some of the changes will not be pretty.
Another Earth thought: recent events in West Virginia and the shock and surprise accompanying them avoid the geologic reality - if you live/build on a FLOOD PLAIN, at some point in the future it is going to flood (hence, the name flood plain).  I realize that living near waterways offers many advantages but that flat land beside the waterway IS GOING TO FLOOD!! How about some pictures to better explain this reality. Have a lovely day on Earth, but remember, the planet doesn't really care.
Flooded Flood Plain of the South Anna River

 But, it was a pasture...

Hot & Humid With Jupiter & Moon

We're not quite to the dog days of summer but it feels like it on the east coast today. A stalled front in the Carolina's, a Bermuda high off the coast and the air is tropical and loaded with moisture and our mild spring and early summer is a distant memory.  Relief is coming with a cool front on Saturday and drier, cooler air but that seems a long way off if you step outside for the next couple of days.  Summer is really here (hard to believe with 4th of July temperatures barely to 70)!!!
If you dare step out in the soupy air of early evening tonight you will catch a thin, crescent moon near the heart of Leo, Regulus. Tomorrow evening the moon, sliding about 12 degrees a day, will be below and west of Jupiter, above and east of the king of the planets on Saturday night (might even be cool enough to pleasantly gaze upon the set up by then).  Put your imagination to work and imagine the view of Jupiter that the space craft Juno is experiencing right now. Arriving on the 4th, the probe is beginning a tour that will hopefully last for months (the first couple of orbits will take almost 2 months each) and send back lots of new info about the enigma that is Jupiter.
Still lovely in the southeast, Mars, Saturn and Antares continue to move slightly about and will be visited by the moon about this time next week.  It's not that hot, get out and check out your solar system and galaxy - that hazy swath just east of the the planet/star trio is the Milky Way, catch it before the waxing moon gets much brighter, today on Earth.