The last of the thaw

They say the weather will turn today but at this moment it's absolutely beautiful. Overnight the last of the snow has disappeared from the patio and it's still. The moon is a pale yellow crescent in the southeast sky. It's wonderfully quiet.
Yesterday someone introduced me to their brother - who found out I once worked for the Mandan News. Immediately he wanted to talk to me. OH OH. It's been a long time since someone said that to me. Usually it meant they liked something I wrote or had a suggestion for something to write. This person was an astronomy teacher in Longview, Wash., I think anyway. He said he knew two Sue's who wrote articles in small papers about what's going on over our heads. In all the time he read the Mandan News, he was thinking it would be great to tell us about each other. In the end - he mentioned he could cross something off his bucket list. I was honored.
I'm outside right now, on our newly windowed front porch. I can see the moon right about my computer screen, which is not a pleasant light. The computer I mean, but I can't seem to type in the dark. To the left is Venus appearing as the morning star. It has been really bright this past month or two. Between Venus and the Moon is Antares. A not quite as bright star from the constellation Scorpius. Sagittarius is below Venus off the horizon at this moment of the night. Sunday morning you will be able to see Mars below the crescent Moon just before sunrise. Off the back porch I can see the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia. And speaking of sunrise. It's coming earlier and earlier - and on that note, I see it's time to get to work... have a wonderful last day of the January thaw...