July 20, 2015 evening

At the 10 o’clock hour we are looking at 69 degrees with stars mostly crowded out by the clouds. Dewpoint is a bit higher than expected at 65 and without a breeze, making it feel more muggy then one would expect. I think the dewpoint was lower at 5 pm and there was a bit of a breeze kicked up by the solar radiation.

For tommorow, the heat returns full blast with temperatures pushing 90 and while it will be muggy, no oppressive heat in Albany like they had on Sunday. Look for dewpoints in the mid-60s. Thunderstorms with the heat are expected in the afternoon and they could bring some downpours. Nicer for Hump Day with sun and a dry, fall like warmth in the 80s dewpoints expected to be a comfortable mid-50s.

Tommorow I’m going to ask for next week off. Schedule wise it looks good for work. The long range looks nice for next weekend but there always is the possibility of a tropical storm working it’s way north, especially as we start to get into hurricane season in August. I can try to pick the perfect week for a camping trip but long range forecasts are unpredictable.

In years past I would spend a lot of time planning and thinking about my week long summer trip. But it seems like I pretty much know where I’m going and most of the gear is the same as I use on weekends trips. At least the first few days of my trip I will spend between Watkins Glen and Ithaca, which both grocery stores and Walmart, so I don’t really need to pack a week’s worth of food. I do want to clean up the kitchen good before I leave, go to the laundromat, and get some books from the library. My smartphone nowadays has all the maps I need.

Part of the reason I want to take the trip sooner than later is the days are already getting shorter, and the hottest days of summer are soon past us. Sunset tonight was 8:27 p.m. and that’s a full ten minute loss since the end of June. I will gain 15 minutes daylight in the evening by the time I reach Western Pennsylvania, but still it’s quickly sliding towards autumn. I want to make some other trips before the fall season comes around.

Frogs are singing their song. Enjoying a cold glass of water. I much prefer the city water to the hard mineral water I grew up with at my parents house. Yet I well aware of what is coming, so I figured I best enjoy every summer evening that remains. I haven’t seen any bats, which sucks because the bugs are fairly fierce tonight.

Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer

Those hazy, hot and humid summer days of summer are upon us. After last summer and many of the early weeks of this summer, you could be forgiven for forgetting what real summers feel like in the summer.

That blast of heat that hits you as you step outside of your air conditioned office or car. The inside of your apartment, which by time you get home at 6 PM still feels like a blast furnace. Dripping in sweat as you walk down to the Town Park.

Vermont in Haze

Ah, summer….

Escaping to the Adirondacks with the air conditioning blasting, watching as the temperatures drop as you climb in elevation. Warm, delightful nights next to the fire as midnight rolls around. Hot days spent at the Potholers.

There are those who complain about the heat and humidity. But not me. It’s part of what makes summer so delightful. Remember, in six months, it will be frigid out.

Some thoughts now that the dog days of summer are upon us ...