Hi @Maggie 

What people often call the saucepan is actually part of the constellation of Orion and these stars make up the belt and sword - and Orion rises early in the morning so I doubt that's what you saw if you were out early in the evening

So I waited for a clear evening to see what you might have seen and I think it was the three stars in the head of Scorpio which sets in the evening - so that would be in the west. Orion is in the east each morning

The sky has been full of stars at night - that is one silver lining in the clouds of the crisis - I have enjoyed going out during the clear mornings when everything is new and clear and there are signs of spring which is only a few days away now

Already the birds are starting to sign first thing - soon they will be full-voiced busy with the dawn creation - which is a lovely name for a lot of male birds letting each other know their status

If you wake up early one morning and the sky is clear then it's worth getting up to see Orion rising - 

Dec