Happy Labor Day!... Still hot, but nights are getting longer, so at least mornings will cool off a little as we head for the Equinox on September 22.

Evening skies: Jupiter and Saturn are setting just after the sun, near each other in Sagittarius. 

Full moon: September 1!

Morning skies: Venus is the bright planet in the east. Sirius, the dog star, is pulling ahead of the sun now, signaling that fall is coming. Sirius is the brightest star, and Venus the brightest planet, so its fun to see them together!

At the Quarry, or around other lakes and creeks, you'll see swifts and swallows circling and diving. Herons are hunting in the shallows. Photo of little blue herons at the Quarry.

Wordsworth said it: "the world is too much with us," and that is especially true these days. Watching the chimney swifts swoop low for a drink or checking out the stars on a dark night remind us that politics and pandemics are temporary. there are definitely more important things and they can help us! Try to head outside for a break every day.

PKL