December 9, 2017 Night

Good evening! The snow has stopped and it’s 27 degrees in Delmar, NY. Calm wind. I  am really surprised by the amount snow we got here in Delmar this evening, almost like 3 inches or so. Some of the local landlords have been plowing but I doubt mine will because it will warm up by morning. The skies will clear tomorrow around 9 am. Maybe tomorrow won’t be such a bad day after all. 

Tonight will have a chance of snow before 1am. Cloudy, with a low of 24 degrees at 5am. One degree above normal. Maximum wind chill around 17 at 5am; Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible. In 2016, we had partly cloudy skies. It got down to 16 degrees. The record low of -4 occurred back in 1902.

Tonight will have a Waning Gibbous Moon with 51% illuminated.The moon will rise tomorrow at 12:00 am. The Last Quarter Moon will be tonight with mostly cloudy skies. The is on Wednesday night. The sun will rise at 7:14 am with the first light at 6:42 am, which is 53 seconds later than yesterday. Tonight will have 14 hours and 53 minutes of darkness, an increase of 48 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will have a slight chance of snow showers after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high of 37 degrees at 2pm. One degrees below normal. West wind 7 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies with more clouds in the afternoon. The high last year was 29 degrees. The record high of 64 was set in 1966. 6.1 inches of snow fell back in 2014.

As I am getting really low on groceries, I found some really freezer burnt corned beef, put it in the oven then shredded it and mixed it with the box of stuffing and a can of peas I had bought a while back. Made a pretty good dinner but I’m increasingly running low on food. I was planning on going shopping this evening but with the snow and the traffic around I decided it would be best to wait until tomorrow to head out. 

Been working on some essays and writing down my thoughts on various topics for the blog. Mostly just topics where I think I have a unique perspective or want to share my thoughts with you the readers. And also just so I have a record of my thoughts. I’m thinking about doing some more video blogging in the coming year more too. 

I am slowly getting better, but I still have a nasty sounding cough and aches. But I think I will be able to return to work on Monday. This week is the holiday party at work although they also signed me up for sexual harassment training during the same time. 

Been wasting time watching some of the videos I’ve made over the past year on my dash camera. I turned on my big screen monitor for the first time in weeks and have been enjoying the memories of the places I’ve been. The dash cam videos make it possible to relive a drive without actually taking it. I can enjoy Moose River Plains or West Virginia from the comfort of my own bed. 

In four weeks on January 6 the sun will be setting at 4:38 pm, which is 16 minutes and 8 seconds later then tonight. In 2017 on that day, we had snow, partly cloudy skies and temperatures between 26 and 12 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 31 and 15 degrees. The record high of 71 degrees was set back in 2007.

Looking ahead, The Day the Music Died is in 8 weeks and April Fools Day and Easter is in 16 weeks. I can’t wait for the nicer weather of spring time to return once again.

And to all a Good night

May 2017

Mostly dash cam videos of places I saw and explored during May 2017 as part of my year in review. By May the landscape was greening up, and days were often getting quite nice. Shots of the South End, along with the Albany Pine Bush and some of the other trips that I took.

Recycling Chaos In U.S. As China Bans ‘Foreign Waste’

Recycling Chaos In U.S. As China Bans ‘Foreign Waste’

"The U.S. exports about one-third of its recycling, and nearly half goes to China. For decades, China has used recyclables from around the world to supply its manufacturing boom. But this summer it declared that this "foreign waste" includes too many other nonrecyclable materials that are "dirty," even "hazardous." In a filing with the World Trade Organization the country listed 24 kinds of solid wastes it would ban "to protect China's environmental interests and people's health."

Plastic Is Everywhere And Recycling Isn’t The End Of It

Plastic Is Everywhere And Recycling Isn’t The End Of It

"Plastic is, of course, very useful. Geyer and his colleagues found that 42 percent of plastic goes for packaging. The second-largest use is for construction, at about 20 percent. Plastic fibers, like polyester, is one of the fastest-growing uses."

"But eventually, most of it gets thrown away. In the U.S., three-quarters of discarded plastic ends up in landfills or is just lost."

Russia’s Nuclear Industry Tries To Dispel Fears Over Mysterious Radioactive Cloud

Russia’s Nuclear Industry Tries To Dispel Fears Over Mysterious Radioactive Cloud

"More than two months after a mysterious radioactive cloud was detected over Europe, Russia's nuclear industry went public Friday in an attempt to dispel fears that one of its facilities had released a plume of ruthenium-106. Russia's state nuclear corporation, ROSATOM, released the findings of a special commission, which concluded that the Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant, near the border with Kazakhstan, could not have been the source of ruthenium-106, a radioactive isotope."

December 9, 2017 Afternoon

Good afternoon! Snow showers and 33 degrees in Delmar, NY. Light easterly breeze. The skies will clear Monday around 2 pm. First snow showers of the year.

For the first time since Monday night I am back down to the library where I can post things and upload new content to the blog. I’ve been so sick during the second half of this week with the cold, but finally on Saturday the cold is receding and I’m starting to actually feel half decent. In other words, half great. Which is decidedly different from being healthy. It’s just a cold but it’s not disappearing as quickly as I would have hoped. I think by the time I have to back to work I will be feeling better. But it’s going to be mad cold next week.

This afternoon will have snow showers, especially after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high of 33 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies with more clouds in the afternoon. The high last year was 33 degrees. The record high of 62 was set in 1966. 7.3 inches of snow fell back in 2009. Just a dusting today, nothing like that day almost a decade ago now.

The sun will set at 4:22 pm with dusk around 4:53 pm, which is 2 seconds later than yesterday. At sunset, look for cloudy conditions and 31 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 9 hours and 7 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 51 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will snow likely, mainly before 9pm. Cloudy, with a low of 24 degrees at 5am. One degree above normal. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible. In 2016, we had partly cloudy skies. It got down to 16 degrees. The record low of -4 occurred back in 1902.

I hope the snow holds off, because I have absolutely no groceries at home. I am out of milk, eggs, cheese, and I ate the last can of soup I had at home. The freezer is mostly empty, with even the frozen meals I had stored for months being gone. All that’s really left is some ice. I don’t even have coffee. I decided to not grocery shopping after camping, and most of the week I’ve been too sick to get out shopping. I guess I can always get milk at Stewarts and just get creative with dinner. I do have some canned vegetables, stuffing, and what looks like to be a five year old pork chop in the freezer. Maybe that would be good, so I can use that stuff up.

It is totally my fault that I got so sick, as I probably should have not gone into work for the first half of the week, and given myself a little time to recover before I got so sick. I didn’t feel all that great on Monday or Tuesday, but then again I hardly ever feel that great on Monday, and some congestion isn’t not uncommon for me going inside a warm building after camping all weekend in the cold. sitting next to a campfire, breathing in all that smoke. I can’t call into work every day I feel the least bit marginal in the morning.

For Sunday, a chance of snow between 7am and 8am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. West wind 6 to 11 mph increasing to 12 to 17 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Not sure what I am going to do tomorrow. It looks like it will be frigid with the expected wind chill. The mercury won’t be that cold at 36 but look at those winds. I want to keep working on the solar panel, but not climbing up on the roof my truck when the wind is whipping around. I’d also like to go for a hike, but even bundled up, while recovering from a cold, that probably isn’t recommended.

Looking ahead, there are 8 weeks until The Day the Music Died when the sun will be setting at 5:12 pm with dusk at 5:41 pm. Bye, Bye, Ms. American Pie. On that day in 2017, we had cloudy skies and temperatures between 30 and 19 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 32 degrees. We hit a record high of 57 back in 2016.