It's been hot here in the Pacific NW. Today temperatures rose to 101F. Tomorrow is expected to be the same and by Sunday we will drop into the 90s.
Quite honestly, my brain starts to melt in this sort of heat. Maybe once it cools off I can start doing some more diaries on astrology. These days, astrology - at least writing about it - is off the table for me. Usually our hottest weather occurs in August - hope that's not true this year.
The second full Moon of July occurred on Friday, July 31, 2015. Those of you still up at the time this diary publishes can see it tonight overhead. Of course, Saturday night, it will still look full - look for it to rise in the east about 50 minutes after sunset.
As you can see by Itzl's concerned look, this group gives Kossacks a safe place to check in, a daily diary where we can let people know we are alive, doing OK, and not affected by such things as heat, blizzards, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, earthquakes, or other such things that could keep us off DKos. It also allows us to find other Kossacks nearby for in-person checks when other methods of communication fail - a buddy system. If you're not here, or anywhere else on DKos, and there are adverse conditions in your area (floods, heatwaves, hurricanes, earthquakes etc.), we and your buddy are going to check up on you. If you are going to be away from your computer for a day or a week, let us know here. We care!
IAN is a great group to join, and a good place to learn to write diaries. Drop one of us a Kosmail and ask to be added to the Itzl Alert Network anytime! We all share the publishing duties, and we welcome everyone who reads IAN to write diaries for the group! Every member is an editor, so anyone can take a turn when they have something to say, photos and music to share, a cause to promote or news!
We do have a diary schedule. But, when you are ready to write that diary, either post in thread or send FloridaSNMOM a Kosmail with the date. If you need someone to fill in, ditto. FloridaSNMOM is here on and off through the day usually from around 9:30 or 10 am eastern to around 11 pm eastern.
Monday:
BadKitties
Tuesday:
ejoanna
Wednesday:
Caedy
Thursday:
art ah zen
Friday:
FloridaSNMOM
Saturday:
Most Awesome Nana
Sunday:
loggersbrat
Here's NASA's latest video about Blue Moons:
According to Wikipedia, the "dog days" of summer refer to the period from early July to early September in the Northern Hemisphere when Sirius, in the constellation of Canis (dog) Major rises at sunrise.
Sirius is the brightest star in our night sky. It is actually two stars Sirius A & B, with the B star defined a a white dwarf star. It is about twice as massive as our Sun and 25 times brighter.
Here's a fun YouTube video about our Earth and relative star sizes including VY Canis Majoris (in the Canis Major constellation) once thought to be the largest star in the known universe:
Those puppies look hot, hot, hot - nuclear fusion contained in a sphere.
It's been hot here - did I mention that?
Here's my current favorite drink for cooling off during the dog days of summer:
Thinly slice about 3 or 4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 peeled regular).
Slice, seed and chunk about 1.5 cups of honeydew melon.
Add to a 2 quart pitcher and fill with fresh water.
Let sit in the fridge for a few hours.
Scoop out some of the cukes & melon for the bottom of your glass, pour and enjoy.
How do you beat the heat?
10.26pmJust checked the Moon - she is gorgeous - full and low, but not blue.
6.25 am The Moon is setting in the western sky - full and very pretty.