August has arrived.

When August arrives, it starts to feel like the beginning of the end. Summer is in its prime, but the mood has shifted. The nights begin to get a little cooler, and evening starts to approach a little earlier with each passing day. August feels like the ideal summer night—purple skies, campfires, and laughter among friends. Here, in The Monthly Almanac, I want to dive into several aspects of the August month that I find intriguing or that I would like to focus on throughout the course of this month…