Andy Arthur.

All Photos: Slideshow / Plattsburgh / Point Au Roche / Panton Vermont

Google Maps: Sprawl Around Albany.

Random locations that show the beauty or ugliness of sprawl around Albany.

All Fodder / Highway Design / Hiking / Rural Freedom / Spring

Amazing Spring Day; 12 Hours of Daylight; Albany 2030.
Thursday, March 18th 8:32 am

What an Amazing "Spring" Day.

So last night I decided to turn off the heat, at least until Sunday. It's not going to be below freezing until then, so there is no need to be heating things and just wasting money. It was a bit cool when I first woke up this morning, but then I opened up the windows in my apartment, and let all the fresh air come streaming in as I listen to the birds and the traffic streaming on by.

Yesterday morning I made scrambled eggs up for breakfast. I didn't do much to wash out the pan, except throw some water and soap in it to let it soak. The warm weather combined with the milk and eggs, made the bacteria literally explode in the pan, and by the time I got home at 9:30 PM it made me gag. Cleaning up the pan, airing things out helped quite a bit.

First Day of Year With More then 12 Hours of Daylight.

Today's sunrise was at 7:01 AM and the sunset at 7:07 PM. It's the first day of the year with more then 12-hours of sunlight in Albany. (That day comes slightly before the first official day of spring due to the way sunlight bounces through the atmosphere). That means we are very much heading to summer.

With the awesome weather predicted through Sunday afternoon I'm thinking about going camping. I don't have the cap on my truck yet, so I'll have to use either stay in a lean-to or a tent, somewhere in the woods. I'm not thinking of heading far out of the region, just close enough to throw a tent somewhere in woods.

Albany 2030.

Albany is working on a city-wide plan, the first city-wide one they have done since the 1960s. Everybody is pretty cynical about the whole process, bar City Planner Doug Melnick. We all know all the good talk about urban planning sounds great, but if it's not connected with real action it's pretty much meaningless. Urban planners, acting in isolation might be able to come with some good ideas, but they ultimately have to get their recommendations through many levels of government.

Any city plan should probably base itself on a projection of status quo. The status quo, including current growth trends whether good or bad, should be considered what is likely to happen, regardless of the best ambitions of politicians and planners alike. The only way to change from the status quo is grassroots political activism through the citizens, not some overpriced bull-sheet plan created by overpriced suburbanite consultants.

Check out Albany 2030.org and send in your comments. But remember, it's just a bull-sheeting forum designed to give money to wealthy planners rather then getting good things done that will improve the quality of life.

Previous Notes.

Exploring the Outdoors.

Adirondacks / Catskills / Finger Lakes
Schoharie County / Northern Tier / Taconics

Black Mountain Snowmobile Trail.

Snowshoeing up the Black Mountain Fire Tower Snowmobile Trail.

All Outdoors / Adirondacks / Heldebergs

The Weather.

Today's Sunrise is 6:59 am and Sunset at 7:08 pm for 12 hours and 8 minutes of daylight. It will be dark out 28 minutes after sunset. Today the Waxing Crescent Moon (31%) will set tonight around 10:50 pm. Get out and enjoy it!

Next Friday the Waxing Gibbous Moon (79%) will appear in sky during the day around 4:36 pm and set around 4:18 am. Get out and enjoy it! In One Month the Sunrise will happen at 6:07 am and Sunset at 7:43 pm for an increase of 88 minutes of daylight.

On Saturday May 1, the Sunrise will happen at 5:37 am and Sunset at 8:08 pm for an increase of 2 hours and 22 minutes of daylight. There are 42 days remaining until the beautiful spring weather of May Day 2010.

Today. Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 60s. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.