Last Days of August

 These last days of August, and the End of Summer Sales, just in time for Labor Day.  Thoughts turn to fall things--flu shots and  school routines.

It's not even Labor Day yet, but Halloween things are out  already.

Tropical storm Idalia has intensified into a hurricane, heading for Florida. It is expected to make landfall on August 30, as a Category 3 Hurricane.  Evacuation orders are in place, and  storm surge warnings.  President Biden has pledged disaster relief already.

 Meanwhile,

A shooting in Jacksonville, FL.

A shooting in Chapel Hill

And Mugshot Day in Fulton county  Have you seen the mugshot T-shirts, the mugs, the shot glasses?

 There have been surprising summer movies--Have you seen Barbie?  Have you seen Oppenheimer?

It's been a summer of wildfires, flooding and tornadoes.  Heat wave even here, 2 days of Hot 100 inferno, 115 real feel. Then,  cold front  and cool breeze--bliss!  Weather in Paradise the last few days, but back in the 90's for the weekend. 

The season's changing, summer riding by on a bicycle.

Changing seasons--

 Plumes on the autumn grasses, purple morning glories climbing over  orange-yellow squash blossoms.

Fireflies are finished, and the dog day cicadas are lying on the sidewalks. Not all  crying  done, some will buzz and fly away. 

The dog Star Sirius is back with Orion the Hunter in the predawn sky.  You can read more about it here, at EarthSky

A time between seasons now.   The second  full moon of August  is on August 30--they call this a blue moon.   You can read more about it  here.

Last night the moon was almost full, rising through the summer trees. In the leaves, it seemed the moon was green. 

Mid- August Now

 Mid-August, and a new moon tonight. Now is the time of ripening tomatoes, peppers, beans and eggplants. 

The day lilies are just about finished, but the queen-anne's lace and the sky-blue chicory are still going strong. The giant sunflowers are beautiful now.

Also blooming now, the late-summer flowers,  white flowers of hostas and moon flowers,  the lavender -pink flowers of the Rose of Sharon bushes.

And the seedpods of milkweeds, ripening

Seedheads on the ornamental grasses, luminous in the sun,  drops of water like jewels after the rain.

Yes, much-needed rain here, but still dry conditions,  and falling yellow leaves.

Mid-August afternoon, and the sound of acorns falling.

Still time for the summer chairs, and watching fireflies.  The Perseid meteors  may be past their peak, but  it is not too late to see some.

It's been a summer of heat waves and wildfires, tornadoes and floods. They are saying this will be the hottest summer the world has ever seen. 

Heat index over 100 is possible here next week.

 

The Moons of August

 

 

 

Is there anything more beautiful than the summer moons?  Yes, every night the moon is beautiful, but there is something very special about the summer moons, the fireflies, and a warm breeze through green leaves...

August begins with a full moon, the Sturgeon Moon. This moon is extra big and bright, the closest approach to earth in its orbit. They call this a supermoon.

I hope you had a chance to see it.  There are many photos from all over the world online. You can see some here,  from Space.com.  But even if you missed it, the waning moon is still wonderful to see, like a wisp of cloud in the morning sky.

There will be a new moon, beginning again on August 16.  Keep this in mind if you are looking for the Perseid meteor shower, which peaks on August 13-14.   

 The second full moon of August will be on August 30.  They are calling this a blue moon,  not because the moon will be blue, but because this doesn't happen very often.  Once in a blue moon used to mean something almost impossible.  

Has the moon ever turned blue?  Yes, according to Space. com.  The ash from the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano  in 1883 caused unusually vivid sunsets, and also gave the moon a bluish green color! You can read more about it here.