Sure, persnickety pedants notice mistakes in the Homer News like, uh, misplaced villages. OK, our bad: we know Nanwalek is really on lower Cook Inlet. But did any of you notice a few weeks ago when our sunrise-sunset table had the sun setting an hour later?

Of course not. When you’re going warp 9 in full summer mode, who’s gonna notice a pesky little thing like the sun setting an hour earlier than we said? The Betster hates to break the news to you, but as of this week, we’re down to 13 hours of daylight.

Omigosh, that is like so Lower 48. Small children might actually have to walk to school in the dark. Drivers will begin to notice their Subarus have been one-eyed since June. Everywhere dog walkers have been slipping blinking lights on our canine companions. And look, up in the sky? What’s that? Those little twinkling bright things?

Embrace the night, you midnight sun worshippers. Fall has come. As that you-go-electrons display of the Northern Lights showed last week, we’re into the days of awesome auroras. The B’s astrogeek friends allege that Mars will put on a fine show these coming weeks, so look east for the red planet.

In other words, as with all things weather, here at Lat. 59 degrees and some change, you gotta roll with what Ma Nature throws at ya. So the next clear night, instead of cursing the darkness, embrace the stars. And while you’re doing all that snuggling, hey, why not take your honey out on the town and try out some of these Best Bets?

BEST RECOVERY BET: The fund-raisers for Hurricane Katrina victims just keep coming. Friday night at the Homestead Restaurant, the gang there is donating proceeds from dinner to the Red Cross. At 7 p.m. Saturday for Oktoberfest at the Beluga Lake Lodge, a portion of the proceeds also goes to the Red Cross. Missed those events? Then at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Alibi, there’s a spaghetti feed with music for dancing by 3 Legged Mule; a $7 donation is requested. But hey, if you’re the shy, retiring type, you can always donate to the Red Cross by dropping some bills in numerous donation tins around town, or swinging by Wells Fargo and writing a big fat check to the Red Cross fund set up there.

BEST TRANSIENT ART BET: Some artists are so fussy and expect their art to last forever. Not Mavis Muller. She makes these glorious baskets, and then torches ’em, as she’ll do Sept. 25 when she burns a basket she’s building at Mariner Park. How come? At 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bunnell Street Gallery, Muller explains all with “Baskets as Ephemeral Art.”

BEST MEALS READY TO EAT BET: Hoo-ah! Grab that MRE, soldier, and chow down. Well, the eatings will be a bit better for local military veterans this Sunday from noon-3 p.m. with the annual Veterans Picnic at the American Legion Post 16 in Homer or at the Ninilchik Senior Center in Ninilchik. It’s the Kenai Vet Center’s way of thanking the good men and women who have served our country in peace and war.

BEST THE APPLES, WALTER, THE APPLES BET: Once again Homer has had an awesome crop of apples. Want to learn more about growing apples? Local grower Walter Johnson holds a tour of his orchard from 1-4 p.m. Sunday out East End Road. Follow the ribbons on McLay Road to the event.

BEST DON’T FORGET BET: Guys, September is your month — well, a month to make dudes aware of one of the biggest male health problems. Uh-huh, we’re talkin’ prostate cancer, dudes. During Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, the American Cancer Society recommends men learn about this disease, and talk to their doctors about the disease. The society recommends men age 50 and older consider early detection tests, but the main thing is to learn more.