Photo of Andy Arthur

Andy Arthur

The color television assures us that April showers bring May flowers. 🌷ðŸŒŧ🌞 I'll believe it when I see it, though there are definite hints of the green up -- grass is looking greener in the city, some bushes are starting to bloom and there are signs of the days to come. Days have gotten longer, windows open and it's generally just nicer then not that long ago.

If it bleeds it leads ðŸĐļðŸĐđ

My finger is a bloody mess after I cut it after opening a can of pumpkin to mix with oatmeal for a bedtime snack last night. It’s starting to heal though not quickly enough.

Good morning! Yeah, it’s Friday! Sunny and 33 degrees in Delmar. 🌞 There is a north-northwest breeze at 5 mph. 🍃.

It was a nice evening last night at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center ðŸļ after I got my bicycle ðŸšē back on the road and went out to Five Rivers Environmental Education Center. Did some reading 📖, went for a walk ðŸšķ. Need to charge the bike headlight though as it was basically dead for the ride home. Maybe I’ll leave it charging today.

Cut my finger ðŸĐđðŸĐļ opening a can of pumpkin 🎃 last night as a bedtime 🛏 snack and oh did it bleed. I had to look around to find a bandage but I had some in the medicine cabinet. Still sore this morning. The pumpkin and shredded oatmeal was good 😋 as was the johnny cakes topped with mashed kidney beans. Good dinner and it was a pleasant evening 🌃.

Today will be sunny 🌞, with a high of 60 degrees at 4pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 17th. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the morning. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 62 degrees. The record high of 90 was set in 1990. 0.3 inches of snow fell back in 1993.❄

Back to riding to work today. ðŸšē The bus was fine and I actually kind of enjoyed the walk from the Plaza to Menands but I still rather bike it in. I should call the bike mechanic 🛠 about getting Blackie ðŸšĩ tunned up before the gear ⚙ jumping gets worse. Probably won’t be able to get an appointment until June at this point. Best to schedule it now though.

Solar noon 🌞 is at 12:54 pm with sun having an altitude of 61.1° from the due south horizon (-9.7° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 3.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour 🏅 starts at 7:12 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (283°). ðŸ“ļ The sunset is in the west-northwest (290°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 7:50 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 4 seconds with dusk around 8:20 pm, which is one minute and 9 seconds later than yesterday. 🌇 The best time to look at the stars is after 8:58 pm. At sunset, look for clear skies 🌄 and temperatures around 57 degrees. There will be a calm wind. Today will have 13 hours and 57 minutes of daytime, an increase of 2 minutes and 37 seconds over yesterday.

After catching a ton of mice earlier in the week 🐭 with the electric mouse zapper, I haven’t seen or heard any mice since yesterday. Those electric mouse zappers are great, they just need to be dumped out when full but almost never need new batteries 🔋 or bait. ðŸŠĪ There easy to empty and set unlike spring traps are easy to use.

Tonight will be clear 🌃, with a low of 35 degrees at 5am. Seven degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around April 11th. Light and variable wind. In 2023, we had light rain in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 40 degrees. The record low of 26 occurred back in 1963.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 64 degrees at 3pm. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around April 25th. South wind 5 to 11 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became light rain by afternoon. The high last year was 62 degrees. The record high of 91 was set in 1962. There was a dusting of snow in 2020.❄

Looking ahead to Sunday, a slight chance of showers. ðŸŒĶïļ Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. South wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Maximum dew point of 57 at 6pm. Typical average high for the weekend is 65 degrees.

Next week is May. Looking ahead, there are 2 weeks until Average High is 70 ðŸŪ when the sun will be setting at 8:07 pm with dusk at 8:37 pm. On that day in 2023, we had sunny and temperatures between 77 and 39 degrees. We hit a record high of 92 back in 1970.

Path Down to Rensselaer Lake

Line of Trees

At the Empire State Plaza on this cloudy grey day. At least it's spring time ...

Taken on Friday April 29, 2011 at Albany, NY.

Chittening Pond

Chittening Pond

Chittening Pond is a small pond in the highlands outside of Bridgewater along Route 20. While the valleys around here are quite flat and lower elevation, this state land is made up of many little hills.