Ambience: The intensity of full summer is upon us.  Humans and plants from cooler climes wilt in the mid-day heat, birds cavort in puddles of water and a plague of skinks is underfoot, their tails disappearing snake-like under cover as they scrabble away from menacing feet. The night sky is rarely clear and the day's heat haze is replaced by occulted stars most nights. On special nights the air is cleansed by southern  cool fronts rushing up the coast and leaving a brief window of clarity behind.  Such was the case for two nights this week when a small High Pressure belt sat just off the coast and magical skies briefly appeared.Full darkness is still not here by 9 p.m. and the dipping Cetus rapidly heads to the northwest horizon. My first three doubles convinced me that finally my eyes or my telescope had packed it in. Inspiration, late in coming, finally revealed  that my Moon Filter was still in my 16mm eyepiece! Periscope Up!