I came across this toot from Tantek yesterday (August 1st). I'd just published my July recap and been feeling quite neglectful of the blog this year. I've started cleaning up my Obsidian space and now have a folder of drafts and half-arsed, half-finished posts. There are about 27 posts in there, so I started to put that together with the Blaugust call to action, and now I'm thinking - yes, let's aim for 31 posts in a month. So let's jump into a post on my thoughts on August itself. It's cold. As far as the Adelaide winter goes, August feels much colder, and that's because the skies clear up. Gone is the oppressive winter gloom that descends in May and lasts through July. The clouds and the rain clear up - and the sun returns (welcomed), but the clear skies mean that nights are cold. Each evening, any warmth the sun provided escapes into the night sky. The mornings aren't as dark, and the days have turned a corner, and it's darker after 5 pm now, but it's cold. Cold on the pre-dawn dog walks and cold as soon as the sun dips below the horizon - usually when I'm walking home from the train. There are spectacular sunrises and sunsets, though – and peering out through the windows, there are blue skies and patches of sun returning to our lives. But it is cold. The sun is still too far away to really provide much warmth; it's tantalising but ultimately disappointing. There are still clouds, but the kind like the Simpsons credits, fluffy and singular rather than a singular grey mass. They zip across the sky and cast deep shadows, the light too weak to pass through. They make a walk outside a clothing challenge – leave in just a shirt, and you will freeze in the shadows, or walk in a jumper and feel yourself get a little bit too humid for comfort. But it's change, and it marks the end of the hibernation period. Everywhere is green and damp, ready to grow when the heat returns. PS - You can sign up for Blaugust yourself here