In August 2022, Mercury is in the midst of a typical mid-summer evening apparition, that is to say, of good elongation but poor angle of elevation with
respect to the horizon at our 38° latitude.  On this date, it has just passed Regulus a few days ago and is now adjacent to ρ Leonis, which is a magnitude
+3.84 star just north of the ecliptic.  So Mercury, at magnitude -0.24, is still about 42' above the ecliptic.  Compare the angle of the ecliptic now to
what it was on April 27 when Mercury was in nearly the same location with respect to my horizon.  The tree is the same in both images!