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DEC Commissioner Policy #38 – Forest Preserve Roads

For today’s fodder, we take a look at the policies relating to the development and maintenance of the forest preserve system of roads. In March 2006, DEC Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan issued this policy based on a lawsuit by the Residents Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, that allows for limited road maintenance and development, consistent with the Adirondack and Catskill Unit Management Plans.

While any road in a Adirondack or Catskill Park is bound to be controversial, there is a need to make some portions of the backcountry accessible to the general public. This policy attempts to balance constitutional restraints with the desire of the public to have access to parts of Adirondack and Catskill Park, that might otherwise be unaccessible.

Note: These requirements do not apply to roughly 800,000 acres of public lands outside of the Adirondack and Catskill Park on State Forests, Wildlife Management Areas and other areas. They also do not apply to intensive use areas.

New Bridge Over Bradley Brook

I. Summary

This policy establishes procedures and protocols for the maintenance, rehabilitation, relocation, and, when authorized by the State Constitution, widening and new construction of roads and state truck trails under Department of Environmental Conservation (“Department”)jurisdiction in the Forest Preserve which are situated in units classified by the Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (“APSLMP”) as Wild Forest, Primitive or Canoe Area or classified by the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (“CPSLMP”) as Wild Forest. This policy pertains to all such roads and state truck trails on Forest Preserve lands whether or not they are open for public motor vehicle use, except it does not pertain to roads or state truck trails in Intensive Use Areas and Administrative Areas. Further, this policy establishes that generally Forest Preserve roads are low maintenance seasonal roads which are narrow, surfaced with gravel, suitable for low speeds, lightly traveled by the public, and partially or fully shaded by tree canopy. Such roads are further constructed and maintained to the minimum standard necessary to provide passage by appropriate motor vehicles in a manner which protects the environment.

Less Muddy Section of Moose Club Way

II. Policy:

It is the policy of the Department to ensure that comprehensive and consistent procedures are applied to all maintenance, rehabilitation, widening and construction of roads and state truck trails (roads) in the Forest Preserve to ensure that such activities minimize the impacts on the environment and maintain the wild forest character of the road and state truck trail corridors.The 2003 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Adirondack Park Agency and theDepartment of Environmental Conservation Concerning Implementation of the State LandMaster Plan for the Adirondack Park (MOU) provides guidance concerning ordinary maintenance, rehabilitation and minor relocation of conforming structures and improvements on Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack Park, including whether consultation between the two agencies is required. This policy is intended in part to build upon the MOU and provide additional direction and clarification on coordination of road work in the Adirondack Forest Preserve. This Policy takes precedence over previously existing authority, guidelines, andpolicies.

This policy does not include standards for determining if a road has become legally abandoned. Determinations of road abandonment will be made on a case by case basis inc onsultation with the Division of Legal Affairs.

1 The following definitions, guidelines, responsibilities and procedures shall govern work to be done on roads and state truck trails being carried out on lands of the Forest Preserve which are classified by the APSLMP or CPSLMP as Wild Forest, Primitive, or Canoe.

A. Definitions:

1.Brushing means cutting of woody vegetation less than 3 inches in diameter at breast height (d.b.h.).

2. Ditch means an excavated drainage structure situated adjacent and generally parallel to the driving surface and shoulder of a road or truck trail, designed to convey water away from the driving surface.

3. Ditchline means the low point or centerline of the ditch.

4. Drainage structure means a device which drains water off or away from the road. Drainage structures include such structures as water bars, ditches, French drains,culverts and underdrains.

5. Driving Surface means that portion of the road surface which is designed for vehicles to travel on.

6. Footprint means the limits of disturbance of the road. The foot print includes the driving surface, shoulders, drainage structures, and side slopes. The Original Footprint is the limit of disturbance of the road at the time that it was initially constructed. The currently maintained or existing foot print means areas of the footprint not currently occupied by trees greater than 3″ dbh.

7. French drain means a subsurface drain consisting of a trench backfilled with porous soil or loose stone and covered with earth or other appropriate surface material.

8. Minor relocation of a road or state truck trail means the relocation of a short segment of a road in order to avoid drainage, wetlands, safety, or other site specific problems which cannot otherwise be adequately addressed. A minor relocation shall be the minimum length of new road required to avoid or lessen the site specific problem, but shall not exceed 300 feet in length.

9. Mowing means cutting of non-woody vegetation and woody vegetation less than 3feet in height.

10. Ordinary maintenance means activities within the currently maintained footprint of the road which are needed to keep the road in good working order and which overtime do not materially change the use or appearance of the land or the vegetation thereon from its current use and appearance, including the maintenance or in-kind replacement of road appurtenances and work to address public health and safety issues where such maintenance or activities periodically occur on an as-needed basis. For purposes of this policy, ordinary maintenance includes the following activities when carried out within the currently maintained footprint:

i. pothole filling;

ii. blowdown clearing;

iii. grading of driving surface;iv. bridge repair and maintenance;

v. bridge replacement with a bridge of the same design and of similar dimensions and which is constructed of similar materials;

vi. culvert maintenance, or replacement with a culvert of a length not to exceed the existing foot print and the same nominal height as the culvert being replaced in the same location, provided that the culvert does not involve a freshwater wetland;

vii. drainage structure maintenance, or replacement with a structure in the same location with the same design and similar dimensions and which is constructed of similar materials;

viii. cleaning of existing ditches and culverts that do not impact fresh waterwetlands;

ix. mowing and brushing routinely maintained roads up to four feet beyond theshoulder or ditchline to maintain existing sight lines, road shoulders, andditches;

x. resurfacing of driving surface, with similar material as currently used on theroad, provided that such resurfacing will not likely facilitate levels of public motor vehicle use which significantly exceed existing levels of such use;

xi. limited rock removal that does not require blasting;

xii. trimming select individual tree branches that impede vehicular traffic, obscure sight lines, and hide roadside hazards; and

xiii. cutting select individual dead or hazardous trees pursuant to Lands and Forests Policy 91-2, Cutting and Removal of Trees in the Forest Preserve.

11. Rehabilitation means work that does not occur on a routine basis within the currently maintained footprint of the road which is essential to address environmental impacts, improve safety, or to restore the road or truck trail to a usable condition. It includes the construction of new road appurtenances or work outside of the currently maintained foot print of a road, but within the original footprint of the road. Rehabilitation includes but is not limited to the following activities:

i. placing culverts at new locations;

ii. replacing existing culverts with culverts that have a nominal height greaterthan the nominal height of the existing culvert;

iii. constructing new ditches or drainage structures;

iv. widening existing ditches;

v. cutting trees other than dead or hazardous trees pursuant to Lands and ForestsPolicy Lands and Forests Policy 91-2, Cutting and Removal of Trees in theForest Preserve;

vi. brushing in areas which have not been routinely maintained;

vii. resurfacing the driving surface where such resurfacing will likely facilitate levels of public motor vehicle use which significantly exceed existing levels of such use;

viii. resurfacing of the driving surface with material that is different from the material which currently covers the surface of the road when there is a clear determination that this measure is necessary to protect the natural resources of the Forest Preserve adjoining the road corridor by controlling erosion or runoff; and

ix. regrading of side slopes.

12. Road means motorized transportation corridors that include both roads and state truck trails as defined in the Catskill and Adirondack Park State Land Master Plans, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Road (APSLMP definition): The APSLMP defines “road” on page 18-19 as “an improved or partially improved way designed for travel by automobiles and which may also be used by other types of motor vehicles except snowmobiles, unless the way is a designated snowmobile trail; and is, either maintained by a state agency or a local government and open to the general public maintained by private persons or corporations primarily for private use but which may also be open to the general public for all or a segment thereof; or maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation or other state agency and open to the public on a discretionary basis.

Road (CPSLMP definition): The CPSLMP defines “road” in Appendix C as “an improved way designed for travel by automobiles and which may also be used by other types of motor vehicles except snowmobiles, unless the way is a designated snowmobile trail; and is, either maintained by a state agency or a local government and open to the general public; or maintained by private persons or corporations primarily for private use but which may also be open to the general public for all or a segment thereof; or, maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation or other state agency and open to the public on a discretionary basis; or, maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation for its administrative use only.”

13. Road work means any physical alteration of a road including ordinary maintenance, minor relocation, rehabilitation, widening and new construction as defined in this policy.

14. Shoulder means a transition zone between the driving surface and the road edge or the ditchline. In general, a wheel of a motor vehicle is not on the shoulder unless the motor vehicle is parked or pulled over to let another car pass.

15. Side slope means that area outside of the ditch or road shoulder that is graded to a uniform slope in order to stabilize the soil between the ditch or shoulder and the native, undisturbed ground.

16. State truck trail:

i. State truck trail (APSLMP definition). The APSLMP on page 19 defines “state truck trail” as an improved way maintained by the Department ofEnvironmental Conservation for the principal purpose of facilitatingadministration of state lands or of allowing access for fire fighting equipment and not normally open for public use of motorized vehicles.

ii. State truck trail (CPSLMP definition). “State truck trail†is defined in Appendix C of the CPSLMP as “an improved way maintained by the Department of Environmental Conservation for the principal purpose offacilitating administration of state lands or to allow access for fire fighting equipment and not normally open to the public for motorized vehicle use.

17. Trimming means the removal of lateral branches or leaders of a tree or shrub, that does not sever the plant from its roots.

18. Underdrain means a perforated culvert in porous fill for drawing off subsurface water from the soil.

19. Widening means a lateral expansion of the currently maintained footprint, or lateral expansion of the driving surface of the road. Widening includes the clearing of trees and other vegetation from areas of the existing footprint that are not currently so maintained to restore the opening of the original footprint.

20. Work plan means a detailed description of work to be performed, the Best Management Practices that will be used in performance of the work, and the desired final condition of the road and surrounding area.

B. Guidelines for roads subject to this Policy

1. Determination of Road Width, Driving Surface and Desired Condition. The width, existing condition and desired condition of all roads will be addressed in Unit Management Plans (“UMPs”).. 2. Relocation, rehabilitation, widening or construction of roads. Any road work, except for ordinary maintenance, not authorized in a UMP may not be performed until it is determined whether or not a UMP amendment may be required. This determination will be made by the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests in consultation with APA after a work plan has been developed. Ordinary maintenance of existing roads does not require UMP authorization. Roads designated as closed in a UMP may not be maintained.

3. Work plans. All rehabilitation, relocation (including minor relocation), widening and new construction of roads in the Adirondack Park and the Catskill Park will be done in accordance with a written work plan. Work plans will detail the work to be performed and the Best Management Practices that will be used in performance of the work and the desired final condition of the road and surrounding area. In both the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park, ordinary maintenance of a road requires approval from the Regional Forester in the form of a written work order or an approved “Requests for Routine Maintenance Projects on Forest Preserve Lands.All work plans will describe the work to be performed, including any tree cutting, in relation to a linear distance from the projectâ’ starting point. Markers corresponding to the work described in the work plan shall be placed at the work site. Work plans should include photographs taken at representative locations along with location by location descriptions of the road condition, driving surface and width.

5 All work plans in the Adirondack Park will be developed in consultation with APA as per the MOU and must be approved by the Regional Director and the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or their designees. If a work plan for a project in the Adirondack Park indicates that the proposed work may materially change the appearance of the land or vegetation thereon or use of the road, then the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or the Director’s designee shall consult with APA staff to determine whether such work must first be authorized by an approved UMP or UMP amendment. If a work plan for a project in the Catskill Park indicates that the proposed work may materially change theappearance of the land or vegetation or use of the road, then the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests shall determine whether such work must first be authorized by an approved UMP or UMP amendment.

4. Best Management Practices. All work on roads shall be done in accordance with Best Management Practices (BMPs). The New York State Forestry Best Management Practices for Water Quality, BMP Field Guide shall serve as a reference for developing BMPs.

5. Approvals and Consultation

i. Ordinary Maintenance. Ordinary maintenance of a road in the Adirondack Park does not require either APA consultation or UMP authorization, except that, as per the MOU, APA consultation is required if wetlands might be impacted. Ordinary maintenance of a road in the Catskill Park does not require UMP authorization, except that consultation with the Department’s Division Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Freshwater Wetlands Manager is required if wetlands might be impacted. In both the Adirondack Park and Catskill Park, ordinary maintenance of a road requires approval from the Regional Forester in the form of a written work order or an approved “Requests for Routine Maintenance Projects on Forest Preserve Lands.”

ii. Rehabilitation. Rehabilitation of roads has the potential to impact the wild forest character of the road, cause significant environmental impacts and facilitate additional public use. For these reasons, rehabilitation of roads inthe Adirondack Park requires a written work plan and consultation with the APA. Depending upon site specific considerations, rehabilitation may require authorization by an approved UMP or UMP amendment. This determination requires approval from the Director of the Division of lands and Forests and will be made in consultation with APA.

ehabilitation of roads in the Catskill Park requires approval from the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or the Director’s designee and, depending upon site specific considerations, may require authorization in an approved UMP or UMP amendment.

iii. Minor relocation . Minor relocation of roads in the Adirondack Parkrequires a written work plan, approval from the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests and consultation with the APA, and may require a UMP or UMP amendment. Minor relocation of roads in the Catskill Park requires a written work plan and approval from the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests, or the Director’s designee, and requires authorization in an approved UMP or UMP amendment. Relocation of portions of roads or state truck trails that are greater than 300 feet, or any or relocation that may have significant environmental impacts will be considered as constituting new road construction and must follow the procedures and protocols on new road construction set forth subsequently in this document.In the Adirondack Park, the determination of whether a particular road relocation project constitutes a minor relocation will be made by the Director of the Division of Lands andForests or the Director’s designee in consultation with the APA. In theCatskill Park, the determination of whether a particular road relocation project constitutes a minor relocation will be made by the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or the Director’s designee.

iv. Road widening and new road construction on roads in units classified as Wild Forest. As noted above, the widening of existing state truck trails and roads and the construction of new state truck trails and roads on lands classified as Wild Forest under the APSLMP and the CPSLMP, must be authorized by the State Constitution.

Supplementing this constitutional requirement is the APSLMP’s requirement that “No new roads will be constructed in wild forest areas nor will new state truck trails be constructed unless such construction is absolutely essential to the protection or administration of an area, no feasible alternative exists and no deterioration of the wild forest character or natural resources quality of the area will result.

The CPSLMP requires that, in Wild Forest, “No new roads will beconstructed. No new state truck trails will be constructed unless suchconstruction is absolutely essential to protect or administer an area and there will be no material adverse effect on the wild forest character of the area by the proposed construction. Further, the APSLMP and the CPSLMP require that such work must be authorized by an approved UMP. To ensure that such work is authorized by the State Constitution and that environmental issues are identified and fully addressed, widening and new construction of roads in the Adirondack Park must be authorized by an approved UMP or UMP amendment, and require a written work plan and consultation with the APA as per the MOU.

Widening and new construction of roads in the Catskill Park must be authorized by an approved UMP or UMP amendment, and require a written work plan which must be approved by the Regional Director and the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests, or their designees.

Road Wandering Up Back Side of Sturges Hills

III. Purpose and Background:

Forest Preserve roads, which are generally low maintenance seasonal roads, are a means of providing the public with access to recreational programs on Forest Preserve lands.

Although design, maintenance and rehabilitation standards for these roads must provide for the health and safety of users, such roads must be consistent with the “wild forest” character of the Forest Preserve and comply with the requirements of the APSLMP or the CPSLMP, as applicable. Thus, proposals for road work in the Forest Preserve must be carefully scrutinized to ensure that health and safety goals are accomplished in a manner which maintains the existing wild forest character of the road corridors and otherwise complies with applicable law.

Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution, the paramount legal authority with respect to Forest Preserve land management, provides in relevant part:

“The lands of the state, now owned or hereafter acquired, constituting the forest preserve as now fixed by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands. They shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or be taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon besold, removed or destroyed. (Emphasis added).”

All road work for roads in the Forest Preserve must be consistent with the directives contained in this constitutional provision. Case law interpreting this provision has held that an immaterial amount of tree cutting does not violate this clause when done in furtherance of one of the purposes for which the Forest Preserve was created, namely, watershed protection and public recreation in a forever wild forest setting. See The Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks v. MacDonald, 253N.Y. 234 (1930); Balsam Lake Anglers Club v. Department of Environmental Conservation, 199 A.D. 2d 852, 605 N.Y.S. 2d 795 (App. Div., Third Department, 1993); Helms v. Reid, 90 Misc. 2d 583 (Hamilton County Supreme Court, 1977), and Flacke v. Town of Fine 113 Misc. 2d 56 (St. Lawrence County Supreme Court, 1982).

Under the rationale set forth in these cases, Forest Preserve road corridors should maintain a wild forest character, with minimal tree cutting. Thus, the current character of Forest Preserve roads should not be changed, and such roads should continue to have narrow driving surfaces, be surfaced with gravel, be suitable for low speeds only, and be shaded by tree canopy.

Roads and state truck trails are nonconforming in areas classified by the APSLMP and CPSLMP as Wilderness. Therefore, there shall be no maintenance, rehabilitation, relocation, widening, or new construction of roads or state truck trails in Wilderness areas.

In areas classified as Primitive by the APSLMP, existing roads and state truck trails may be maintained, rehabilitated or relocated only if the road or truck trail was in existence when the land was classified as Primitive and the road or truck trail is used by administrative personnelto reach and maintain structures and improvements whose removal cannot be effected by a fixed deadline or whose presence is of an essentially permanent character.

In addition, existing roads in areas classified as Primitive may be maintained, rehabilitated or relocated if the roads are open for public use at the Department’s discretion pending wilderness classification. There may be no widening or new construction of roads or state truck trails in Primitive Areas.

In areas classified as Canoe by the APSLMP, the use of roads is prohibited and therefore such roads may not be maintained, rehabilitated, relocated, widened or constructed. Existing state truck trails in areas classified as Canoe may be maintained, rehabilitated or relocatedwhere the truck trails are being used by administrative personnel for purposes designed to preserve or enhance the water or fishery resources of the area as specified in UMPs. The widening or new construction of truck trails is prohibited in Canoe areas.

In areas classified as Wild Forest by the APSLMP, existing roads and state truck trails which are used solely by administrative personnel to reach, maintain and construct permitted structures and improvements may be maintained, rehabilitated, and relocated, but may not be widened. New roads and state truck trails to be used solely for these purposes may not be constructed. Existing public roads open to the public for motor vehicle use in APSLMP Wild Forest areas may be maintained, rehabilitated and relocated. Existing public roads maybe wide ned only if authorized by Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution.

No new roads or state truck trails will be constructed in APSLMP Wild Forest areas unless such construction is authorized by Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution and such construction is absolutely essential to the protection or administration of the area, no feasible alternative exists and no deterioration of the wild forest character or natural resource quality of the area will result. In addition, such construction is allowed only if it will not result in a material increase in the cumulative mileage of roads open to motorized use by the public in Adirondack Park Wild Forest units.

In areas classified as Wild Forest by the CPSLMP, existing roads and state truck trails which are used by administrative personnel to reach, maintain and construct permitted structures and improvements, to conduct approved fish and wildlife research and management projects, for rescues, or for other appropriate law enforcement and general supervision of public use may be maintained, rehabilitated, and relocated, but may not be widened.

New roads and state truck trails to be used solely for these purposes may not be constructed. Existing public roads open to the public for motor vehicle use in CPSLMP Wild Forest areas may be maintained, rehabilitated, and relocated. Existing roads and state truck trails may be widenedonly if authorized by Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution. No new roads or new state truck trails will be constructed in CPSLMP Wild Forest areas unless such construction is authorized by Article XIV, Section 1 of the New York State Constitution and such construction is absolutely essential to protect or administer the area and there will be no material adverse effect on the wild forest character of the area by the proposed construction.

In addition, such construction is allowed only if it will not result in a material increase in the cumulative mileage of roads open to motorized use by the public in the Catskill Park Wild Forest units. This policy is intended to ensure that road work in the Forest Preserve is in compliance with constitutional and APSLMP and CPSLMP directives. Thus, this policy will ensure that all road and state truck trail maintenance, rehabilitation, relocation, widening and construction projects will be properly authorized and that work plans will be developed and appropriately approved prior to the commencement of such work. This policy will enable staff to determine whether such work: requires approval by the Regional Forester and the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or the Director’s designee; requires consultation with the Adirondack Park Agency; and requires authorization by an approved UMP or UMP amendment

The policy also will enable staff to determine whether a work plan is needed, and, if so, what it must contain and who must approve it.

Little Moose Mountain

IV. Responsibility:

It shall be the responsibility of all Department divisions and staff to implement the guidelines and procedures of this policy.

It shall be the responsibility of the Forester assigned as the land manger of a management unit to prepare work plans for the unit in consultation with the Division of Operations. It shall be the responsibility of the Regional Forester to review and approve work plans for road work and ensure that work plans are developed for all road work as required by this policy. The Regional Forester shall ensure work plans are in compliance with UMPs and that current best management practices are utilized and any associated impacts on the environment are minimized. It shall be the responsibility of all Department staff involved in road work projects in the Forest Preserve to ensure that all work authorized and is carried out in accordance with the approved work plan and to ensure that any tree cutting complies with policy Lands and Forests Policy 91-2, Cutting and Removal of Trees in the Forest Preserve.It shall be the responsibility of the Regional Director and the Division Director or their designees to review and approve any work plans for road work involving maintenance, relocation, rehabilitation, widening, and new construction proposed under this policy and to assign staff to coordinate with the APA where such coordination is appropriate under thispolicy.

It shall also be the responsibility of the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests to periodically review the provisions of this policy and recommend amendments, where necessary.

Dry Grass at Hang Gliders Cliff

V. Procedure:

The management and actions taken regarding road maintenance, rehabilitation, widening, relocation, and construction on Adirondack Forest Preserve lands shall be in accordance with the above stated policy and the following procedure:

1. Regional staff shall consult with Regional Forester to determine if a proposed project is ordinary maintenance, rehabilitation, minor relocation, relocation other than minor relocation, widening or new construction.

2. APA consultation is required if wetlands in the Adirondack Park might be impacted as required per the MOU. Depending on the scope of the work, an APA Jurisdictional Inquiry Form and Application for Wetlands General Permit, 2005G-1, may be required.

3. Ordinary maintenance of roads may be carried out with the approval of the Regional Forester. At the Regional Forester’s discretion, a work plan may be required for ordinary maintenance. Such work plans must be approved by the Regional Forester and the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests or their designees.

4. All rehabilitation, minor relocation, widening and new construction of roads in the Adirondack Park will be done in accordance with a written work plan prepared by DEC staff in consultation with the APA as per the MOU. All relocation projects should be forwarded to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests for consultation with APA to determine if the project is considered a minor relocation. Projects that are not part of an approved UMP or UMP amendment and are not minor relocations will be referred to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests forconsultation with APA to determine if an approved UMP or UMP amendment isrequired for the project.

5. The Regional Forester will ensure that the work plan details the work to be performed, the BMPs that will be used in performance of the work, and the desired final condition of the road and surrounding area. All work plans must describe the work to be performed, including any tree cutting, in relation to a linear distance from the project’s starting point. Markers corresponding to the work described in the work plan shall be placed at the work site. Work plans should include photographs taken at each station and at representative locations along with station by station descriptions of the road condition, driving surface and width.

The Regional Forester will forward work plans approved by the Regional Director or the Regional Director’s Designee to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests. The Division Director or the Division Director’s designee will notify the Regional Forester of approval or denial of the work plan.

The management and actions taken regarding road maintenance, rehabilitation, minor relocation, relocation, widening and construction on Catskill Forest Preserve lands shall be in accordance with the above stated policy and the following procedure:

1. Regional staff shall consult with the Regional Forester to determine if the proposed project is ordinary maintenance, rehabilitation, minor relocation, relocation other than minor relocation, widening or new construction.

2. Consultation with the Department’s Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Freshwater Wetlands Manager is required if wetlands might be impacted.

3. Ordinary maintenance of roads may be carried out with the approval of the Regional Forester.

4. All rehabilitation, minor relocation, widening and new construction of roads in the Forest Preserve will be done in accordance with a written work plan prepared by Department staff. All relocation projects should be forwarded to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests to determine if the project is considered a minor relocation. Projects that are not part of an approved UMP or UMP amendment will be referred to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests to determine if an approved UMP or UMP amendment is required for the project.

5. The Regional Forester will ensure that the work plan details the work to be performed and the Best Management Practices that will be used in performance of the work and the final condition of the road and surrounding area. All work plans must describe the work to be performed, including any tree cutting, in relation to a linear distance from the project’s starting point. Markers corresponding to the work described in the work plan shall be placed at the work site.

The Regional Forester will forward work plans approved by the Regional Director or the Regional Director’s Designee to the Director of the Division of Lands and Forests. The Division Director or the Division Director’s designee will notify the Regional Forester of approval or denial of the work plan.

Sunny Morning at Powley Place Bridge

Related References:

Adirondack Park State Land Master Plan (APSLMP), Adirondack Park Agency, June 2001

Catskill Park State land Master Plan (CPSLMP), NYSDEC, 1985

New York State Forestry, Best Management Practices for Water Quality, BMP Field Guide,NYSDEC, January 2000

Lands and Forests Policy 91-2, Cutting and Removal of Trees in the Forest Preserve

2003 Adirondack Park Agency/Department of Environmental Conservation Memorandum ofUnderstanding

That rye bread I made this morning was pretty good ๐Ÿฅ–

Mom picked me up some rye flower and dill weed and adding some wheat flour, yeast, water, salt and some vital wheat gluten made some good bread. Wish I had more rise though, I could try more yeast next time or a higher portion of vital wheat gluten and less wheat flour. Wheat flour is difficult as it is very low in gluten and is heavy with all that healthy protein and fiber.

Good morning! Happy Thursday. Mostly sunny and 30 degrees in Albany, NY. There is a west breeze at 5 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. There are 0.3 inches of snow on the ground. โ˜ƒ ๏ธCold start to the morning, though warming up quickly, it will be above freezing by 9 AM.

Rode my bike in again to work today. ๐Ÿšฒ Like I do most days, while the weather is decent. Today is share cookies day in the office ๐Ÿช so I had to be careful riding in with my bike box full with my laptop, lunch, snacks, and a large glass pyrex container full of cookies I baked. ๐Ÿ“ฆ ๐Ÿช ๐Ÿ’ป ๐ŸŽ’ But with careful ride in on the somewhat snowy and icy bike trail I made it in safely. I did make sure my basket was good and tight to the panier rack, and things bungeed down, and easy on the bumps.

Today will be sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 37 degrees at 1pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around December 18th. West wind 5 to 7 mph. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, remaining cloudy in the afternoon. The high last year was 31 degrees. The record high of 63 was set in 1901. 12.5 inches of snow fell back in 1956.โ„

Working back downtown again today. ๐Ÿ“ƒ I wouldn’t want to miss the exchange cookies day this afternoon, ๐Ÿช plus I like the

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 11:50 am with sun having an altitude of 24.1° from the due south horizon (-46.6° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 13.4 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 3:37 pm with the sun in the southwest (231°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (239°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:23 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 24 seconds with dusk around 4:53 pm, which is 11 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Waxing Crescent ๐ŸŒ’ Moon in the southwest (223°) at an altitude of 6° from the horizon, 230,431 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:30 pm. At sunset, look for mostly clear skies ๐ŸŒ„ and temperatures around 36 degrees. There will be a south-southwest breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 7 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 34 seconds over yesterday.

Big Red passed his inspection with no issues, ๐Ÿ”Ž๐Ÿ›ป the oil changed and tires rotated. Prices have gone up a bit in the shop, I think it was about $94 bucks for all three things but I should be good until next summer except should random things break or need repair before then. Makes me want to go back to changing my own oil, lol. ๐Ÿ›ข I want to get another year out of Big Red if at all possible, so I’ll feed it parts beyond engine or transmission tear-down type repairs. ๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿ”ง Rust continues to be an issue but I’ve been painting it with red primer, and some point maybe in the spring I’ll cover with duplicate color match. ๐Ÿ‘จ‍๐ŸŽจ I haven’t put the hub caps back on, will do this weekend after I do a quick check of the torque of the wheel nuts, lest the shop mess that up. ๐Ÿ”ง Can’t happen twice, right?

Tonight will be mostly clear ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 28 degrees at 3am. Five degrees above normal, which is similar to a typical night around November 29th. South wind around 8 mph. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became mostly clear by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 16 degrees. The record low of -8 occurred back in 1874.

Today in 1994, started construction begins on the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze river. The Three Gorges Dam has been the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW) since 2012. In 2014, the dam generated 98.8 terawatt-hours (TWh) and had the world record, but was surpassed by the Itaipú Dam, which set the new world record in 2016, producing 103.1 TWh. ๐Ÿž Also, today was a notable date in civil rights history, with the release of the Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States, 379 U.S. 241 (1964), a landmark United States Supreme Court case holding that the Commerce Clause gave the U.S. Congress power to force private businesses to abide by Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in public accommodations.

Mild and pretty nice for the weekend. ๐Ÿ˜€ Friday is going to be in the fifties. And Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 45. North wind around 6 mph. Sunday, more clouds push in especially late, with a high near 47. Typical average high for the weekend is 38 degrees.

Looking ahead, next Thursday is First Day of Winter โ˜ƒ๏ธ when the sun will be setting at 4:26 pm with dusk at 4:56 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 34 and 16 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 37 degrees. We hit a record high of 62 back in 2018.

Took The Skis Off

Six Weeks Until New Years Eve ๐ŸŽ‡

Those extra cups of coffee did me no good yesterday. Not only did it make it impossible to get to sleep, it contributed to my extreme anxiety I had most of the afternoon. I just kind of wanted to relax to some extra coffee yesterday but I guess I really overdone it. I swear I used to drink a lot more coffee when I was younger, and coffee ain’t as strong as it once was when sipping it, but the after effects are much worse. Between the garlic powder gas and shits, the anxiety and staying up too late, I didn’t get much sleep and sleeping past 6 o’clock is unimaginable in my mind at this point.

Good morning! Happy Sunday. Partly clear and 34 degrees in Delmar, NY. There is a south breeze at 6 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 10 pm. โ˜ƒ๏ธ

Not a super cool morning. ๐Ÿ˜€ I could go for a walk but I want to get to the store pretty earlier and my guts are mess after last night I don’t want to risk an accident out walking. ๐Ÿ’ฉ Could be excess coffee of yesterday โ˜• but I think it’s the garlic powder I added to the tomato sauce I had last night, as that previously gave me trouble in West Virginia plus one other time at home. Big bulk container I got from Hannaford, even in moderation it keeps me running to the toilet ๐Ÿšฝ . Could be salmonella or mold growing in the container. I probably should empty it and toss in the recycle bin โ™ป๏ธ before it gets me sick again. ๐Ÿคข

Decided on pancakes this morning ๐Ÿฅž as that’s all I really had left. I was playing with recipes, decided to do ground oatmeal, with one egg, apple cider vinegar and baking soda for levity, and Splenda rather then bananna for sugar. Came out fairly good, little more filling then just ordinary oatmeal-banana pancakes. Topped with shredded apples from the food processor ๐Ÿ heated and cooked down in the microwave, along with chopped bananas. ๐ŸŒ Pretty good.

Today will be mostly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 46 degrees at 12pm. Two degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around November 23rd. South wind 6 to 11 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning with a few breaks of sun the afternoon. The high last year was 39 degrees. The record high of 71 was set in 1921. 4.2 inches of snow fell back in 1914.โ„

First thing this morning is to shower ๐Ÿ›€ and then head over to Price Chopper in Slingerlands for grocery shopping, ๐Ÿ›’ that is once I get my list together. ๐Ÿ“œ I need to get $50 in groceries to use my $5 coupon, though that shouldn’t be hard as groceries are so expensive these days. Only shopping through Friday morning, as I plan to get what I need when heading up to the Adirondacks. Not Walmart on Black Friday, but I don’t think Hannaford will be particularly crowded the day after Thanksgiving. Mostly just restocking the pantry full of fruits and veggies, though I’m also going to get a big bag of frozen salmon fillets as I have that other coupon too. ๐ŸŽซ Eating lots of omega-3 is good.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 11:42 am with sun having an altitude of 28° from the due south horizon (-42.9° vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 11.3 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 3:48 pm with the sun in the west-southwest (237°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-southwest (244°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 4:31 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 14 seconds with dusk around 5:00 pm, which is 47 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the First Quarter ๐ŸŒ“ Moon in the south (170°) at an altitude of 28° from the horizon, 226,654 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 5:36 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 42 degrees. There will be a west-northwest breeze at 10 mph. Today will have 9 hours and 41 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and one second over yesterday.

Been continuing on the Udemy Courses. ๐ŸŽ“ I am on my third course after two courses on remote sensing. ๐Ÿ›ฐ So far done is Remote Sensing with QGIS: Basics of Satellite Imagery Classification and Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis. Been learning a lot. It’s wonderful that my public library ๐Ÿ“š offers these classes for free and you get free certifications ๐Ÿ“„ after you get done watching the classes and doing the quizzes. The most recent one is Spatial Data Analysis with R, QGIS & More which is good but it’s about 7 or 8 years out of date, and doesn’t show a recent version of QGIS and uses the obsolete R library of rgeos rather then sf and terra which is used today. But still it’s interesting and good to learn as a big part of the class is about kriging, which is something I am still struggling to fully understand. ๐Ÿ—บ ๐Ÿ“

Yesterday I checked out the Bethlehem Sportsmart โ›ท and was shocked at the prices of skis, especially ones in good quality. At over $100 for a pair of cross-country skis, I think I’d be best off to get a pair at a retailer, maybe after the holidays, one that fits and works properly for my needs. It was mobbed at the sportsmart, with screaming babies ๐Ÿ‘ถ and children running around. ๐Ÿง’ The skis I have currently are groomed-track skis, which besides being broken, really aren’t good for the kind of cross-country skiing I do that rarely involves following groomed tracks. ๐Ÿค‘ The problem with those skis is they are too fast and sink too deep in unpacked snow, the prior is a particular concern when descending mountains, especially now that I’m close to 41 years old, and crashing with skis may very well mean broken bones. ๐Ÿค• Plus I wasn’t in the mood to spend any money right now, to say nothing about that I’m not sure if it will be a particularly snowy winter. I might just stay closer to home this winter, do more bike riding ๐Ÿšด‍โ™€๏ธ on the roads. Winter ski season is so short around here, and it’s often quite cold int he winter.

Didn’t end up being able to fix the vacuum cleaner yesterday, ๐Ÿงน turns out that after I got it all apart, then put it back to work, I found out the source of the rattle — bad ball bearing. After fiddling for it for a few more hours, I ended up pulling the motor and any part I could reuse or scrap. โš™ Heck of it is I had it back to together and it was working until it’s started sparking and not working again. โšก Disappointing crap, I bought it only 7 years ago but ever since I got it constantly plugged, burned up belts and malfunctioned. If I get another vacuum, I am going to get a small rechargeable hand held ๐Ÿคฒ one as I don’t really have that much carpet in my apartment and then I can do the stairs and vacuum out the mud and dust from my truck better. I’m just annoyed by all that plastic trash, even I will be able to reuse the switch and cord from the vacuum for camp lighting, ๐Ÿ”Œ and may be able to part out parts of the motor for electronics projects or add to the stack of scrap metal for eventual recycling at the scrap yard. โ™ป๏ธ It wasn’t a real cheap vacuum — it was like $70 or $80 bucks, a Dirt Devil Pet Hair Vacuum but it constantly plugged on wads of hair and dust. I bought it because the reviews were good originally, and I figured a pet hair vacuum wouldn’t clog as much as a standard vacuum. ๐Ÿถ I guess don’t believe the review. I just hate carpet, when I have my own land, I don’t ever want that indoors. Especially not the gross, nasty worn out shag carpet like in my apartment.

The broken vacuum cleaner, the debate in my mind to renew or not renew my certificate of deposit,  the signing of Clean Slate last week, getting my ego knocked down a peg for that messed up background at work, and cold weather ๐Ÿคช plus all that coffee just really got me into a bad place by last night. ๐Ÿคฏ My mind was racing, I just kind of felt sick. The whole thing was stupid, it wasn’t entirely my fault I messed up the background, the researcher and big boss didn’t catch it either. ๐Ÿ’ฃ The vacuum cleaner was cheap shit it never worked right. The truck is going to be fine for another year. Then I got the shits from that garlic powder. ๐Ÿ’ฉ Yuck, I was so sick for a while. Did I mention I burnt my finger ๐Ÿ‘† on the soldering iron when I was working last night. ๐Ÿ˜  I was just so bitter, angry and frustrated all evening. I mean it’s stupid, what happened at work isn’t the end of world, moving to a new department soon, the seven-year old vacuum cleaner was less then a tank of gas these days, my truck will likely make it another year, it’s winter it’s cold but I am still planning adventures, I can get better skis somewhere else, and the coffee and shits will wear themselves off.

But regardless, I had a nice bicycle ride out to Voorheesville. ๐Ÿšฒ The bridge is fully re-opened, they did a nice job, it’s a very smooth ride up and over the bridge. On the west side of the bridge it’s a slight upgrade, but the expansion gaps are remarkably smooth and it’s blacktop, all the more surprising for a “temporary bridge”. Truth is they did such a nice job on the “temporary” bridge that they really don’t have a good reason to necessarily replace it anytime soon. Sat and watched the 4 PM freight train roll through Voorheesville ๐Ÿš‚ then watched the sunset ๐ŸŒ† from Bender Mellon Farms and rode home quickly, thinking it would get dark but it didn’t so I rode down to Adams Street then back along the designated bike route through the back roads of Delmar. Great evening even if it was shitty day in so many ways. That part of the day was pretty nice, even if I got sick in evening ๐Ÿ˜ซ and my mind was racing the rest of day. ๐Ÿคช

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers before 8pm. Partly cloudy ๐ŸŒƒ, with a low of 26 degrees at 6am. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around December 3rd. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had clear skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 24 degrees. The record low of 6 occurred back in 1986.

Last night made homemade tomato sauce with canned tomatoes, Italian spices, spinach, peas, chopped garlic, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika and kidney beans. Added a little bit of lentil pasta towards the end. Tasted good, very filling and kept me full. ๐Ÿฅ˜ It as all good until I added some garlic powder (really not much), which totally blew up my stomach starting around midnight, with frequent visits the bathroom and everything stinking of garlic. I don’t know why I have such problems with this garlic powder I got the other day — crushed garlic is good. I thought the problem was the whole wheat flour I got from Price Chopper but I’m pretty sure it’s the garlic powder. Been having a lot of stomach issues lately, I thought I would adjust to the high-fiber diet but it’s proven difficult. ๐Ÿคฐ

Got reading about the latest generation of single board computers ๐Ÿ–ฅ which keep getting more and more powerful and cheaper. Technology on this front is advancing so quickly, it’s a golden age to be a hobbyist with things like the original Arduino from years ago seeming so out of date. ๐Ÿค– Then I got reading about stomach issues as my stomach grumbled, and this really weird thread on the internet where people fight about whether or not sugars in excessive fruit consumption ๐ŸŒ ๐Ÿ ๐Ÿ’ lead to fatty liver disease and diabetes. Most of the experts think the benefit of the extra fiber far outweigh any downsides to a diet rich in fruits, though I do eat a lot of fruit (and vegetables too). Probably too much fruit but I like sweet. But I also don’t eat any food with added sugars if I can all avoid it, which is what most doctors ๐Ÿ‘จ‍โš•๏ธ think really are a big threat to health. I am a bit obsessed with fatty liver disease after people warned me about the risk of loosing so much weight so quickly. Hell of it is I don’t have much control over my weight, it really is a just a side effect of diet. Hard to gain too much when your stuffing your face with fruits, vegetables and beans all of the time, and riding to work and walking everywhere.

Next Friday through the following Monday is looking good for the Adirondacks ๐Ÿ• though only time will determine for sure. โ„๏ธ It looks like the snow event in Wednesday isn’t going to leave feet of snow up north, so I should be able to get back to camp without doing a lot of shoveling or hauling gear back, though worse come to worse, I’ll bring the sled and drag gear back. ๐Ÿ›ท The weekend looks to be cool but not as cold as they first predicted โ˜• and warm coffee and meals along with the heater should be good. And I can get away from it all.

Looking ahead, there are 3 weeks until 7:15 AM Sunrise โŒ›๏ธ when the sun will be setting at 4:23 pm with dusk at 4:53 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 31 and 20 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 40 degrees. We hit a record high of 64 back in 1966.

Driving the Elk Highway

Zucchini spaghetti is pretty darn good! ๐Ÿ

How did I not know such a thing before today? I heard of spiralizers but never used one. I’m very happy with my decision to hop on my bike, ride and get a zucchini spiralizer at Walmart rather than go to Indian Ladder Farms for apples today. The store bought apples are fine – probably any of the ones Indian Ladder at this point has been stored in nitrogen for the past year and would quickly spoil. In two weekends I’ll likely bike out to Indian Ladder.

Good afternoon! Clouds and sun and 76 degrees at the Delmar. ๐ŸŒฅ Probably a thunderstorm will come through before this blog post is done. There is a west-northwest breeze at 7 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 67 degrees and getting muggier as the thunderstorm approaches. The muggy weather ends tomorrow around 1 am. ๐Ÿ˜“

Black is great for a quick run to the grocery store ๐Ÿ›’ like this morning when I ran to Wally World to get a spiralizer for the zucchini that I wanted to try making zucchini lasagna out of. ๐Ÿ With some of excess zucchini and tomatoes made an excellent lunch without all the carbohydrates to crash my blood sugar in a few hours. The spiralizer made excellent zucchini spaghetti, and used the food processor for the tomatoes plus some onions, jalapeños and Italian spices, a frying pan plus some parmesan up top. Good meal ๐Ÿด for lunch. I do want to try zucchini bread next, using whole wheat flour and oatmeal along with stevia, cinnamon and olive oil – also maybe some grapes or other fruit mixed in for flavor. ๐Ÿž

What can I say, Blackie ๐Ÿšต is such a slow dog ๐Ÿถ on the paved bike trails Erie Canal Trail but awesome on gravel and light mountain biking on horse and easy to moderate mountain bicycle trails. It gets blown by the road bicycles like your standing still on the paved bike trails, with a continuous pace and top gear. โš™ But then it’s so much fun on the gravel and even gated haul roads on the background where you’d shred road bike tires. Not so wonderful in deep mud or even in deeper sands like in parts of the Pine Bush but those crawl gears are awesome for crossing the rough terrain. Blackie on asphalt likes to go around 10 mph though on gently slopping terrain, it can easily do a constant 13-15 mph but road bikes blow by at 20-25 mph. It’s kind of the tractor on the interstate experience.

This afternoon will have isolated showers and thunderstorms. It’s summer. Mostly sunny ๐ŸŒฆ, with a high of 79 degrees at 2pm. Four degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 1st. Maximum dew point of 67 at 12pm. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. A year ago, we had cloudy skies. The high last year was 79 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1947.

Yesterday was a good day, checked off basically everything on my list besides the spiralizer which I got today. โ˜‘ Got a lot of groceries at the Stanton Farm Stand ๐Ÿ‘ though the Pennsylvania peaches they had where a bit disappointing. Their sweet corn ๐ŸŒฝ was excellent along with their tomatoes. ๐Ÿ… No good clothes at Goodwill but not unexpected. Mountain biking in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, ๐Ÿฆ‹was great though some of the trails were rougher than I expected and the deep sand wasn’t great in spots though that’s partly my fault for not airing the tires down more but I didn’t want pinch flats. ๐Ÿšฒ I did find a nice pair of shorts and long sleeve shirts at Salvation Army for $20 which fit my smaller size nicely ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘• and I mentioned it to Linda when I was visiting John and she gave me some of his old shirts which fit well too. Going to need to buy smaller jeans ๐Ÿ‘– and in the fall should keep an eye on Salvation Army for dress clothes ๐Ÿ‘” and maybe some new ties but I’ll probably end up buying much of that new at JC Penny. For me it’s not a money ๐Ÿ’ต thing at this point but I’d rather keep good clothes out of the landfill and support needy people. ๐Ÿš๏ธ Plus there is some unique stuff there, especially their ties.

Visiting John was nice though he was largely out of it due to sedatives for pain he’s on. ๐Ÿง“ Rode some of the Erie Canalway which was crowded and the weather hot and sticky ๐Ÿ˜ฐ and the constant blow by of road bikes ๐Ÿšฒ was kind of obnoxious. I prefer more solitude and less spandex as I ride my slow as shit mountain bike. Got most of the supplies and food I needed at Walmart, had dinner – zucchini and onions again, followed by yogurt and frozen fruit with lemonade ๐Ÿ‹ and retired to bed ๐Ÿ›.

Tonight will have a Waning Crescent ๐ŸŒ˜ Moon with 6% illuminated. At 12 PM, the moon was in the southwest (221°) at an altitude of 70° from the horizon, some 249,616 miles away from where you are looking up from the earth. ๐Ÿš€ At the state speed limit of 55 mph, you’ll make it there by February 19th. Buckle up for safety! ๐Ÿ’บ The moon will set in the northwest (307°) at 7:04 pm. The Sturgeon ๐Ÿก Moon is on Tuesday, August 29.

The darkest hour is at 1:01 am, followed by dawn at 5:30 am, and sun starting to rise at 6:00 am in the east-northeast (69°) and last for 3 minutes and 6 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 4 seconds later than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ„ The golden hour ends at 6:39 am with sun in the east-northeast (76°). Tonight will have 9 hours and 57 minutes of darkness, an increase of 2 minutes and 30 seconds over last night.

Tonight will be partly cloudy ๐ŸŒƒ , with a low of 60 degrees at 4am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around August 20th. Maximum dew point of 63 at 6pm. Northwest wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 54 degrees. The record low of 44 occurred back in 1941.

I don’t think I’ll get to Indian Ladder today ๐Ÿ with rain storms around, and because I got a good ride doing a quick trip out of Walmart on Blackie. ๐Ÿšต‍โ™€๏ธ But soon in a bit I’ll head out to my parents house for Sunday dinner and to do my wash then do a quick hike up Bennett Hill. ๐Ÿ” Then get home, and unpacked. And ready for the upcoming week.

In four weeks on September 10 the sun will be setting in the west (278°) at 7:16 pm,๐ŸŒ„ which is 45 minutes and 46 seconds earlier then today. In 2022 on that day, we had mostly sunny, patches of fog and temperatures between 83 and 56 degrees. Typically, you have temperatures between 77 and 55 degrees. The record high of 96 degrees was set back in 1931.

Looking ahead, 6:30 Sunrise ๐ŸŒ‡ is in 4 weeks, Constitution Day ๐Ÿ“œ is in 5 weeks, October ๐ŸŽƒ is in 7 weeks, Average High is 65 ๐Ÿ‚ is in 8 weeks, Average Night Below Freezing ๐ŸŒŒ is in 3 months, 7:15 AM Sunrise โŒ›๏ธ is in 17 weeks and Christmas Eve ๐ŸŽ… is in 19 weeks.

Bridge

When the ice cream makes you sick ๐Ÿจ๐Ÿ˜”

Getting those large maple walnut sundaes at the Glen Dairy Bar is quite a tradition for me. But maybe not so much in my forties. All that sugar made me feel so sick and kept me up half the night. I might get ice cream later in the week but it won’t be a large portion for sure! I still feel kind of sick today from all that sugar. Soft ice cream has so much.

Good morning! Where did July go? Lost to vacationland I guess. Today is Ithaca day, exploring the city and the gorges on my bicycle. Beautiful day, partly sunny and 72 degrees at the Cass Park ๐Ÿž on Cayuga Lake. There is a northwest breeze at 9 mph. ๐Ÿƒ. The dew point is 58 degrees. Big day ahead. Monday, Monday on vacation. ๐Ÿ– It really doesn’t seem too bad.

As I noted, Today is Ithaca Day, that is I plan to do Ithaca is Gorges. Start out at Stewart Park ๐Ÿž this time starting closer to 9 am then 11:30 am. I need to stop and get ice on the way back to camp, the Enfield Dandy’s should be good for that. Mostly for the coolers but I’ll also fill one of the water bottles with ice so as it melts down in the evening I can use it for lemonade with Stevia. ๐Ÿ‹

I don’t have cell service up at camp so I’ve been slow at uploading photos to the blog ๐Ÿ“ธ as it requires a lot of data, and even when I bike or hike where I have good service ๐Ÿ“ถ it seems like it’s still pretty weak up on the backbone and in parts of Watkins Glen. Ithaca today I should have better service but too much blogging ๐Ÿ“ takes time away from adventures. ๐Ÿง—โ€โ™‚๏ธ Ain’t got no time for that!

Today will have a chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 2pm. Partly sunny , with a high of 77 degrees at 4pm. Seven degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around September 8th. Maximum dew point of 59 at 12pm. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had partly cloudy skies in the morning with some clearing in the afternoon. The high last year was 86 degrees. The record high of 98 was set in 1917.

That sugar from the ice cream was so bad. ๐Ÿคฎ I thought I was going to have the runs all night spraying poop ๐Ÿ’ฉ off the tailgate of my pickup, having to shovel it come the morning. Wasn’t that bad but I was bouncing off the walls well after midnight, riding the Forest Service roads after dark on my mountain bike ๐Ÿšต,, hanging out at Foster Pond well into the moonlit hours of Monday early hours with no desire to sleep. Sugar is a narcotic when your not used to eating it. Hell of it was I was still a bit hungry when I got back to camp but frying up an onion ๐Ÿง… with some fresh spinach more than filled me up fine. No alcohol yesterday, and only other thing I eat all day was a banana ๐ŸŒ or two, the remainder of pancake ๐Ÿฅž mix and sausage I had bought last winter. But they’re done now and I’m done with that chapter of my life in the thirties. I’m forty now.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 1:13 pm with sun having an altitude of 65.8ยฐ from the due south horizon (-5ยฐ vs. 6/21). A six foot person will cast a 2.7 foot shadow today compared to 2.2 feet on the first day of summer. The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:48 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (289ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (296ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:29 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 13 seconds with dusk around 8:59 pm, which is one minute and 7 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ At dusk you’ll see the Full ๐ŸŒ Moon in the southeast (133ยฐ) at an altitude of 6ยฐ from the horizon, 227,253 miles away. ๐Ÿš€ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:41 pm. At sunset, look for rain ๐ŸŒง and thunderstorms ๐ŸŒฉ and temperatures around 69 degrees. The dew point will be 58 degrees. There will be a north-northwest breeze at 6 mph. Today will have 14 hours and 33 minutes of daytime, a decrease of 2 minutes and 8 seconds over yesterday.

This morning I avoided anything with sugar and instead fried up spring onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers with a bunch of spinach and an egg or two. ๐Ÿณ Added some parm cheese ๐Ÿง€ and MSG plus pepper. It was good. No desire for anything sweet at this point. ๐Ÿคฎ My stomach still is rumbling from the sugar. I also hard boiled eggs ๐Ÿฅš for protein later. Probably eat dinner on the run this evening.

Swimming ๐ŸŠ in Cayuta Lake at Taughannock, Buttermilk Falls swimming and Enfield Glen swimming are open until seven. That is after exploring the Casacadilla Glen at Cornell University and other bike ๐Ÿšฒ paths and trails in the city. Figuring a light snacky dinner when I get back, probably sugar free syrup plus kidney beans, or maybe I’ll cut into the watermelon ๐Ÿ‰ I got on Friday. That should be good but I know as soon as I cut into the watermelon the clock will be ticking โณand I’ll be eating a lot of water melon. Just like if I get clams ๐Ÿฆช later in the week. Eat eat eat! Just hopefully not get sick like all that ice cream.

Tonight will have a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10pm. Partly cloudy ๐ŸŒƒ with a low of 54 degrees at 5am. Eight degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around September 12th. Maximum dew point of 58 at 6pm. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2022, we had cloudy skies in the evening, which became partly cloudy by the early hours of the morning. It was somewhat humid. It got down to 69 degrees. The record low of 46 occurred back in 1964.

Yesterday besides my adventures in eating and ice cream sickness it was a busy day, bicycled ๐Ÿšฒ 30 miles, hiked 4 ยฝ, ๐Ÿšถ swam for about a half hour. ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ Did all of the Catharine Valley Trail from Watkins Glen to Montour Falls to the end outside of Horsesheads in Pine Valley at the Mark Twain Golf Course โ›ณ. Rode in the evening along Rock Dam Road, you can really fly down there on a mountain bike. ๐Ÿšต Then along Airport Road ๐Ÿ›ฌ at the Catharine Valley WMA to Boat ๐Ÿ›ฅ Launch Lane, then over through the village to the Watkins Glen pier on Seneca Lake. Walked out on the pier, it was colorful evening ๐ŸŒƒ but the sunset was kind of blocked by clouds that came in late. Went back through Clute Park then rode back to my truck around dusk disappointed by the lack of a classic sunset. On the whole it was a beautiful day!

Going to close out vacation next weekend with good swimming weather. ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ Saturday, partly sunny, with a high near 79. Maximum dew point of 66 at 11am. Maybe paddle Seneca Lake then swim at the Watkins Glen pool. Sunday, mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Maximum dew point of 64 at 11am. Swimming in Cayuga Lake? Then head home around 4 pm or so to be home by dark? ๐Ÿก That’s a long way off, no need to think about it. Typical average high for the weekend is 83 degrees.

Looking ahead, there are 3 weeks until World Mosquito Day ๐Ÿž when the sun will be setting at 8:00 pm with dusk at 8:28 pm. Bugs seem worse this year then normal but no so bad now that the front came through and cooler. On that day in 2022, we had hot, partly sunny and temperatures between 88 and 70 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 82 degrees. We hit a record high of 98 back in 1916.

Pines Along Cedar River Flow

The rain let up for the morning walk โ˜”

I really didn’t think I would get out walking today outside but it turned out to just be a drizzle if that. Not sure if it will be this light all day but probably because when they warn of heavy rain it always gets scared off and leaves two drops of rain.

Good morning! Monday’s come back around again. Rain drops ๐Ÿ’ง and cloudy and 67 degrees in Delmar, NY. โ˜ Calm wind. The dew point is 66 degrees. The rain will stop tonight and skies will clear tomorrow around 5 am. Might be a good day to take delivery of Blackie, the name I gave my new mountain bike if it’s ready.

This morning out walking ๐Ÿšถ. I’m happy about that. The black coffee โ˜• – already had a half cup and breakfast will be original cream of wheat with frozen blueberries and a good glop of plain non fat Greek yogurt mixed in for protein and taste. ๐Ÿฅฃ At first I struggled to adopt the Greek yogurt craze ๐Ÿคช, as it’s rather tart and when I started eating healthy I zeroed in on the calories and saturated fats in dairy but I came around getting to like the somewhat bitter taste, noting the excellent ratio of protein to calories and how it’s a way to support dairy ๐Ÿฎ without as much of the unhealthy crap as cheese ๐Ÿง€ and ice cream ๐Ÿฆ.

Today will rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. ๐ŸŒง High of 75 degrees at 5pm. Eight degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical day around June 4th. Maximum dew point of 69 at 10am. ๐Ÿ–๏ธ Light north wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 81 degrees. The record high of 100 was set in 1936.

I am hoping it stays dry enough to walk this evening ๐Ÿ‘ฃ but realistically I see the forecast. I will do the best I can do at lunch time, walking in the Concourse or maybe in the walkway. But it might be a good evening to continue reading either the Boggleheads Guide to Investing or Beginner’s Guide to D3.js. I am trying to learn more about D3.js. ๐Ÿ“š I took a FreeCodeCamp class on D3.js last fall but I’ve never used it but it’s a powerful tool for creating visualizations in Javascript. I also need to retire the debt on my credit card today, ๐Ÿ’ณ as I need more room under my credit limit so I can actually purchase the bike this week. ๐Ÿšต‍โ™€๏ธ Also want to get my FreeCreditReport and make sure all my credit accounts are still locked and clear, like they should be — and super boring.

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 1:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 69.6° from the due south horizon (-1.2° vs. 6/21). The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:53 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (295°). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (302°) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:35 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 24 seconds with dusk around 9:08 pm, which is 27 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:53 pm. At sunset, look for rain ๐ŸŒง and thunderstorms ๐ŸŒฉ and temperatures around 71 degrees. The dew point will be 65 degrees. There will be a northwest breeze at 9 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 10 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 11 seconds over yesterday.

Last night I got reading ๐Ÿ“– the Boggleheads Guide to Investing. Truth be told not much I didn’t already know but it’s good to expand your knowledge. I’ve done a lot of things right though I fully admit in some cases I leave money ๐Ÿ’ต on the table. Automatic investing with low cost index funds remains key to sustainable wealth growth. I probably could live without my big jacked up truck ๐Ÿ›ป or my new mountain bike ๐Ÿšต or my guns I don’t use enough ๐Ÿ”ซ but I also don’t take flamboyant vacations in fancy hotels, I don’t have internet, cable or air conditioning at my run down apartment in the city and I use public transport to get work. I’m really putting away a good chunk of money for retirement – federal maximums for my Roth IRA, Deferred Comp and plus I got my pension and also buy $415 weekly of a variety of index and bond funds. The hell of it is my credit score is complete crap, below 800, because I have never borrowed money outside of my credit card — no student or auto loans ever, and I refused to allow the bank to set a credit limit above $5,000 — which means my credit utilization is relatively high at 10-15% each month. ๐Ÿ’ณ But hopefully if I ever need to use credit to buy land or something else, I can put the majority down in cash, so I don’t get bit through the nose ๐Ÿฝ for refusing to use credit through the years.

And reading this book, truth is though that I feel more then a little guilty spending so much money on a fancy new bike, though my old clunker would still be that even if I did finish the rebuild project. ๐Ÿšฒ I’m hoping to get a lot of use out of the bicycle to sure — already been thinking about some remote-country hammock camping, only reachable by bicycle trail come August. ๐Ÿคฏ Spent some time pondering what to do with my old bicycle — I’ll possibly continue the rebuild as I now have the back wheel back together, but I honestly don’t want to spend much more time or money on parts that now that I will soon have the Blackie. ๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿ”ง I think it’s in too rough of shape to be traded in with the fork a little rough and still some of the parts not reinstalled, but I’m kind of hoping that Albany Bicycle Rescue will take it as a donation. I have too much clutter, but I’d rather it get more use then take it to a scrap yard. ๐Ÿ‡ I probably eat some grapes and chickpeas for stress eating last night, but I did follow it by a walk, ๐Ÿ‘ฃ as the rain let up last night. Overall, despite eating a large dinner — I mostly eat too much fruit and vegetables, and some rather unhealthy small portion of chicken and rice, I did still walk 9 1/2 miles yesterday and plan to do hopefully 10 miles today, and 40 flights of stairs. I do worry about getting obese ๐Ÿคฐ though in the future should I fall off my rocker.

Tonight will rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8pm, then a chance of rain and thunderstorm then a chance of of the storms could produce heavy rain. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒง, with a low of 62 degrees at 6am. One degrees below normal, which is similar to a typical night around July 9th. Maximum dew point of 67 at 6pm. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 55 degrees. The record low of 48 occurred back in 1986.

On this day in 1890, Wyoming is admitted to the United States as the 44th US State. ๐Ÿค Many liberals regard that as a mistake, although it has some beautiful country out in Yellowstone and lots of oil and coal. ๐Ÿ›ข๏ธAnd in 1962, Telstar, the world’s first communication satellite is launched.๐Ÿ“ก It would be destroyed within a year or so due to above ground nuclear testing. People think it was radiation and human sickness ๐Ÿคฎ that lead to the above ground test ban ๐Ÿ’ฃ when it was really concerns about damage to military satellites. ๐Ÿ›ฐ

A very typical summer weekend ahead. Hot and humid, thunderstorm โ›ˆ threat all weekend. Saturday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 50%. โ˜€ Maximum dew point of 70 at 11am. Sunday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Maximum dew point of 70 at 11am. Typical average high for the weekend is 84 degrees.

Looks like a decent weekend. โ›บ I’m still thinking about heading out to Schoharie this weekend for riding the Catskill Scenic Trail, swimming ๐ŸŠ, the auto show at NY Power Authority. ๐Ÿš™ I might take off Monday if it’s nice. I kind of don’t like driving back to Betty Brook due to the tight campsite and rough roads with my big jacked up truck but I’m thinking Sunday night there is a good chance I could get the campsite either on West Kill Road or Cole Hollow. The prior would mean you could get an early start, head down to Stamford and Monday morning and do the leg of the trail from Stamford down to Bloomville. ๐Ÿšฒ Monday’s are usually easier to get off plus then it’s a four day week the next two weeks as I’m leaving for vacation on a Friday. Then the week after vacation is my dentist appointment ๐Ÿฆท not this week as I originally thought.

A lot of my weekend plans depends on when I take delivery of Blackie, ๐Ÿšฒ and when I get the kick stand, rack and crate on it. I decided I’ll add yellow reflective DOT tape to the rear and sides of the black crate and the rack to improve visibility when riding on the road. I found my old front and back lights, though I’m missing the mount for the rear one or more like I think it broke when I took it off the old bike a few weeks back when I was restoring it. Supposedly from the online inventory the bike store has the kick stand, the MIK rack and MIK connector plate as I’d like to have that all installed before I head out for the weekend, along with the bicycle registered and licensed with the town, photos and other information sent to my insurer.

Looking ahead, there are 6 weeks until World Mosquito Day ๐Ÿž when the sun will be setting at 7:50 pm with dusk at 8:18 pm. My gawd have they been bad at times lately in the woods, especially for the evening walk at Elm Ave Town Park. On that day in 2022, we had hot and muggy weather ๐Ÿ˜ฐ , partly sunny and temperatures between 88 and 70 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 82 degrees. The mosquitoes loved that. We hit a record high of 98 back in 1916.

AES Cayuga Coal Power Plant in Distance

Those bananas and oatmeal pancakes are good on this Saturday morning ๐Ÿฅž

To think all these years I used to eat pancakes made out of white flour, sugar and whatever other chemicals that are in grocery store pancake mix compared to just whole grain oatmeal, a banana and some water run through a food processor and fried with a pan with just a little bit of non stick spray. I just have gotten to hate all prepared mixes and recipes you find on the internet and cook books with 20,000 ingredients and steps which all involve cooking using PFOAs topped pans with lard and substitutes, sugar and substitutes, along with a ton of added salt. But maybe my tastes have changed as I’ve lost weight or you care far more about nutrition then taste. I don’t do portion control but I also don’t eat crap anymore that doesn’t fill my stomach with good nutritious food.

At any rate, Good morning! Happy Saturday. Can you believe it’s already the weekend? ๐Ÿ˜ƒMostly cloudy and 71 degrees at the Elm Ave Town Park . โ›… Calm wind. The dew point is 67 degrees. Going to hot and humid ๐Ÿ˜ฐ out later so I figure walk ๐Ÿšถ now before it gets too ungodly hot out later.

Woke up around 5:15 as a fire truck ๐Ÿš’๐Ÿง‘โ€๐Ÿš’came roaring through the neighborhood and I fell asleep pretty early last night, as I cut my evening walk short โ›ˆ as I was sure it would thunderstorm and pour before I could get home. I also started early after a quick cold dinner of kidney beans with sugar free maple ๐Ÿ syrup. 10 miles on the dot yesterday, I managed to squeeze it out by a quick walk in the Elm Ave Park followed by some laps at Swift Wetland Preserve near where I live then a few laps back inside. Also did 40 flights of stairs up and down at work – two times up and down (morning, lunch, home) to the 18th floor plus four flights in the LOB. Been two weeks of only using the stairs at work. ๐Ÿง—โ€โ™‚๏ธ

I was up early but didn’t start walking ๐Ÿšถ until 6:45 this morning. Had said pancakes ๐Ÿฅž first topped with the remaining farmers market blueberries. They were good ๐Ÿซ but paying $7 for a pint of fresh blueberries even in these inflationary times seems like highway robbery when you can just as healthy frozen 3 lb for a few more bucks. It’s good to treat yourself once and a while. Plus I didn’t want to go to the store until today. ๐Ÿ’ธ Truth be told what I really want is fresh tomatoes ๐Ÿ… and sweet corn ๐ŸŒฝ from the farmers market.

Today will have scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Partly sunny ๐ŸŒž, with a high of 86 degrees at 4pm. Two degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 10am. Calm wind becoming northwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies. The high last year was 85 degrees. The record high of 100 was set in 1936.

I would like to get in about four 4โƒฃ miles of walking ๐Ÿšถ this morning before heading home ๐Ÿชฐ but the deer fly may change my mind first. Doing the nature trail loop at Elm Ave Park that I do most evenings. Then head home. I want to pull out of the freezer the remaining chicken ๐Ÿ” breast I have to thaw in the fridge for cooking in the oven, probably tomorrow morning early and then refreezing cooked portions for future years. I no longer get the precooked strips because they’re loaded with fat and salt to say nothing of preservatives and so much more expensive than what I can prepare myself and freeze. And also cook up the black beans I have as they’re so good cold with red onions, especially in the heat. Also want to try to make hummus out of the chickpeas I soaked earlier in the week and then roast the rest to mix with blueberries, raspberries,, strawberries and walnuts. ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿฅœ๐Ÿซ

Then I want to go to the library ๐Ÿ“š and briefly study the spec sheets a bit more on the bicycles I’m researching ๐Ÿ” before heading over to Steiners Sports in Glenmont to hopefully check out the Trek Marlin 5 or 6 and the Trek Verve 2, and maybe the Dual Sport 2 though I’m leaning towards a mountain bike and the Trek brand due to the local popularity and parts and service availability. Then I’ll head over to Market 32 and Walmart for groceries. ๐Ÿ›’ My current lack of frozen fruit and plain Greek yogurt is kind of a bummer especially knowing how hot it’s expected to be by evening.

If Steiner is a bust for getting a bicycle ๐Ÿšฒ, I’ll head to Downtube in the afternoon to look there. Or if I like what Steiner has but they only have my size in Hudson it will be a road trip. They’re Hudson location is also open on Sunday so I could do that tomorrow too. Who knows how this will go. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

Solar noon ๐ŸŒž is at 1:01 pm with sun having an altitude of 69.9ยฐ from the due south horizon (-0.9ยฐ vs. 6/21). The golden hour ๐Ÿ… starts at 7:54 pm with the sun in the west-northwest (295ยฐ). ๐Ÿ“ธ The sunset is in the west-northwest (302ยฐ) with the sun dropping below the horizon at 8:36 pm after setting for 3 minutes and 25 seconds with dusk around 9:09 pm, which is 23 seconds earlier than yesterday. ๐ŸŒ‡ The best time to look at the stars is after 9:55 pm. At sunset, look for partly cloudy skies ๐ŸŒƒ and temperatures around 77 degrees. The dew point will be 70 degrees. There will be a south breeze at 5 mph. Today will have 15 hours and 12 minutes of daytime, a decrease of one minute and 5 seconds over yesterday.

Tonight will be scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy ๐ŸŒซ๏ธ, with a low of 66 degrees at 6am. Four degrees above normal. Maximum dew point of 70 at 7pm. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms. In 2022, we had mostly clear skies. It got down to 61 degrees. The record low of 41 occurred back in 1963.

I was so sure I had that dentist appointment next week ๐Ÿฆทbut I am wrong it would appear as I haven’t got an appointment reminder. I called and texted the dentist on Friday but it was after they had closed for the day. I do hope to get out of town next weekend, maybe tacking on Friday and or Monday. โ›บ Maybe just Schoharie especially if I have the bicycle for the Catskill Scenic Trail. And practice my swimming ๐ŸŠ strokes before vacation, which with my weight loss I should be a much stronger swimmer. If next weekend looks bad there is always the free Nature Bus to Thacher Park. ๐Ÿš I haven’t done the Nature Bus yet this year. ๐Ÿ†“

Looking ahead, next Saturday is Cow Appreciation Day ๐Ÿ‚ when the sun will be setting at 8:33 pm with dusk at 9:05 pm. On that day in 2022, we had mostly sunny and temperatures between 86 and 57 degrees. Typically, the high temperature is 84 degrees. Burgers and steak ๐Ÿ” are a good treat on occasion and I do like skim milk in coffee โ˜• at times, and plain Greek yogurt remains wonderful ๐Ÿจ but I admit I’ve cut back a lot due to calories and especially the omega 6 saturated fat in cattle. But they’re such wonderful animals for protecting grass lands while putting the land to use in a sustainable fashion. We hit a record high of 96 back in 1997.

Across the Lake